the child
by isyourcermetgoingtogrow
Summary: Garrett gets turned into a little kid... and his coven have to find a way to change him back. Fluff ensured, I guess... M cause i'm paranoid but there isn't really a reason for it aside from that...
1. Chapter 1

**I wrote this a while ago and thought I'd better do something with it, even if no one reads it so it is off my desktop...  
but if you do happen to find yourself here I'd love a review...I know it's kind of weird...  
**

Eleazar came in from hunting with a look of utter confusion on his face. In his arms he held a small petrified child who obviously did not want to be held.  
"What's going on?" Tanya asked cautiously, eyeing the kid. The look on her face told us she wasn't happy, especially after what happened with Sasha.  
"Eleazar…" Carmen warned, glancing at her.  
"You need to get rid of that right now," my sister told him sternly. "You _know_ what the Volturi will do if you don't dispose of it immediately."  
"No-" He started, almost pleading.  
"Honey you have no choice," Carmen told him soothingly.  
"But-"  
"Look, I won't make you do it if you really can't but I'm still going to have to deal with him, okay?" Tanya asked gently. Suddenly she started. "Wait, where's Garrett? Did he…" She watched the toddler.  
"No, he didn't-"  
"Give him here," she coaxed, slowly taking the little boy from him. He didn't dare fight our coven leader.  
The kid started to cry, his body shaking with sobs.  
"It's okay, little one," she told him, hugging him and rubbing his back. "It will be over soon."  
I could see this was going to be hard for her.  
The tears came faster as if he knew what was going to happen.  
"Shh, you won't feel anything, I promise." Her voice was thick as if she was holding back her own tears.  
"You can't hurt him!" Eleazar cried desperately.  
"I don't want to, Eleazar, but the Volturi-" she choked on a small sob.  
We all froze, even the child. It was the first time any of us had ever seen her cry; your coven leader crying was just something that didn't happen. Ever.  
"He's not immortal! Listen," he begged.  
Faintly I could hear a small heartbeat.  
"Please. You don't understand, I- he's-" He stole him from Tanya without as much as a fight and handed him to me.  
His little body went ridged as soon as I touched him. He was so familiar; it was bizarre.  
Then his eyes met mine. They were a deep chocolate brown faintly mixed with amber. Although I had never met him as a human, I knew him immediately.  
"Garrett," I gasped, shocked. He nodded shyly. I hugged him closer to me. "Eleazar…what..?" I stared at him for some explanation.  
"When we were out today a strange vampire injected him with something…and then this happened a few minutes later…" He bit his lip.  
"I'm sowwy," Garrett told me then looked shocked, covering his mouth and going a brilliant red.  
I couldn't help but giggle. Tanya and Carmen did too.  
"Do you think it'll just wear off?" Tanya asked after collecting herself enough not to laugh.  
"Maybe…they didn't really say anything about what would happen," Eleazar replied. "They just ran off."  
"What are we going to do about you then?" Carmen asked, cooing over him.  
He shrugged and held onto me tightly.  
"Oh my god you are so cute!" I chuckled, hugging him and kissing the side of his face. I felt his cheeks heat up again.  
"It's a bit of a long shot, but we could call Carlisle?" Eleazar suggested.  
Garrett shook his head. "Cant. He's owt wiv Awistair today…"  
We all tried not to laugh again but we all failed.  
"Your speech is getting worse, my friend," Eleazar chuckled. "You were not talking like this on the way back.  
"We could call him anyway," Tanya continued. She smiled kindly at Garrett. "I'm sure Alistair would get a kick out of this."  
"No!" he whined. "No Awistair."  
"No Awistair it is then," she giggled. "But I do think we should at least tell Carlisle."  
He nodded slowly, biting on the end of his now way too long sleeve.  
"First I think we'd better get you some clothes that fit," I told him. He lent his head on my shoulder, snuggling closer to me.  
"I have a better plan," Tanya said to me. "How about you go and get the clothes, and I will put this one to bed."  
"I think that might be best," I admitted, unable to keep from smiling as she took Garrett off me and he immediately clung to her.  
As I got in the car, Carmen jumped in beside me. I looked at her for an explanation.  
"I've always wanted to shop for a child," she told me sadly.  
"Me too," I smiled as I pulled out of the driveway.


	2. Chapter 2

He watched me nervously as I pulled a set of clothes out of the bag.  
"Do you want me to dress you or do you want to do it yourself?" I asked, sitting next to him on the bed.  
He watched his feet swinging over the edge. "…Don't think I can," he mumbled, blushing again. I could tell he was making a conscious effort to keep his speech normal.  
"That's okay, honey, I can help you." I put him on my lap and helped him into the clothing. He still seemed to struggle and had a hard time getting them on properly. By the end, he was bright red and almost in tears out of frustration. "Come here, Garrett. It's okay." I hugged him carefully, rubbing his back when his emotions got the better of him and he started to cry.  
Eleazar knocked awkwardly on the door and we both looked up. "Um, Tanya spoke to Carlisle and he said he would come and see us…"  
"Thank god for Carlisle," I murmured.  
"You've got that right," he muttered, walking away again.  
Garrett sniffed and wiped his face on the back on his hand.  
I picked him up and stood.  
"Where we gowing?" he asked shyly.  
"Downstairs with the others," I told him, giving him a light squeeze. He tensed but didn't object.

"Can you stand, Garrett?" Tanya asked as she sat down across from me. He was on the floor, having wriggled off me knee.  
"I don't know," he shrugged.  
"Do you want to try?" she encouraged.  
"'kay," he mumbled. He crawled forward a few feet and tried to pull himself up on the coffee table, failing miserably. "Can't," he whimpered, rubbing his arm where he had knocked it as he fell.  
"That's okay, we can work on that. At least you can talk," she smiled. "Is your arm okay?"  
He nodded and refused to make eye contact.  
We watched the TV for a few minutes until he suddenly started to cry again, becoming almost hysterical.  
"What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?" I asked.  
He frantically shook his head and pressed both hands over his mouth.  
"I think he's going to puke," Eleazar told me quickly.  
I hurriedly scooped him up and rushed him to the sink, pulling his hair out of the way just in time. Worry prickled my skin. I rubbed circles into his back while he coughed and spluttered. I could feel him trembling, afraid. I forced back my own tears. "It's okay, you're going to be okay, Garrett." I kissed the top of his head.  
In the other room I could hear Tanya talking to Carlisle again. She came and stood in the doorway, giving me a reassuring smile.  
"Carlisle says-" she started but on the other end of the phone he interrupted her.  
"Is that like Simon says?" Carlisle asked, laughing.  
Garrett giggled as well, immediately comforted by his friend.  
"You be quiet," she quipped. "He thinks that because he's human it's just his body getting rid of all the blood because he'll need human food now. Also, we need to feed him."  
"I'm not hungwy," Garrett moaned, hugging his stomach.  
"I know you feel sick, but you have to eat before you go to bed, alright?" I told him, picking him up again and holding him close to me.  
He nodded and hid his face in my shoulder.  
Tanya took the phone away again and left us alone.  
"I love you, Garrett."  
"…love you too," he mumbled.  
"Could you try and eat something for me?"  
"Okay." He didn't look happy about it. I put him down on the bench and sourced some of the food we had gotten while we were out.  
"Here, try this, sweetie. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it and if you feel like you need to be sick, tell me, okay?" I pushed his hair out of his face again but it wouldn't stay put.  
He took a hesitant bite out of it before smiling happily at me and quickly eating the rest of it.  
"Do you want a drink as well?" I chuckled.  
"Yes pwease," he answered, pulling a face when he remembered he couldn't talk properly.  
I filled a glass and handed it to him. That disappeared within second as well.  
"Katie…?" he asked shyly after a moment. He was squirming, unable to keep still, crossing and uncrossing his legs.  
"Yes?" I smile.  
He blushed bright red again. "I need to go to the bathwoom," he squeaked. "Really bad." He went an even deeper shade of crimson and pressed his legs together, looking like he wanted to cry.  
"Oh, okay," I stood there dumbly for another minute, almost in shock, until he whimpered desperately. "Come on then."


	3. Chapter 3

It was almost midnight when I put Garrett in bed although he had been asleep for hours. He had fallen asleep on my lap and was too cute to move in case I woke him. I lay next to him for another hour or so until I was sure he would not wake up for a while.

"Kate!" Carmen called, her voice floating down the staircase. I rushed up to find her sitting on our bed with her arms around Garrett. His face was red and hot, wet with tears and he was crying uncontrollably. "We had a nightmare," she explained apologetically, getting up as I lifted him onto my knee.  
"Shh, it's okay sweetie," I told him, rubbing his back. He clung to me, shaking and crying. "It's okay, it was just a dream."  
"I'm sowwy," he choked out between sobs.  
"It's alright, it's not your fault." I kissed his cheek. "Try and take a deep breath, honey, you're hyperventilating; it will make you feel dizzy and sick."  
"Hey," Carlisle greeted me, coming in the door.  
I jumped. "Where did you come from?"  
He laughed and gave me a kind smile, crouching beside him.  
Garrett sniffed and reached toward him.  
"You want me to pick you up?" he asked cautiously.  
He pulled his hands back and folded the in his lap, going red again.  
"It's okay, I was just making sure," Carlisle told him, lifting him off me. "I wouldn't want anyone picking me up, that's all."  
He stifled a small sob. "Can you change me back…?" he sniffed.  
He shrugged. "I don't know yet, Garrett. Maybe…Or Aro-"  
"No!" he cried, terrified.  
"Shh, you're okay, he wouldn't hurt you, but he might know how to fix this."  
"I know…" he mumbled.  
"Then why are you crying?" he chuckled, wiping his face dry.  
"Because…because…I don't know!" he sobbed. "I can't make it stop!"  
"I think maybe he has the mind of a child as well, or at least the emotions of one," Carmen told him, low enough so that Garrett couldn't hear it.  
"That would make sense," he murmured, hugging his little friend. "We'll get you back, don't worry."  
"I don't wanna be a kid again," he whimpered.  
"I don't blame you, but you're stuck for now." He smiled again and Garrett sort of smiled back.  
"You need to be in bed, mister," I told him.  
"I don't want to," he complained, proving that he really was a child.  
"You have to go to sleep," I argued.  
He sniffed. "No…"  
"I think yes."  
He started to cry for what seemed like the millionth time today. Carlisle shut it down before he got too far.  
"I'm sure Kate will stay with you if you are worried about getting scared again," he assured him.  
I nodded and smoothed down the blankets on the bed.  
Garrett hesitated, trying to phrase something he wasn't quite sure how to. "Will you stay wiv me?" he asked shyly, glancing up at Carlisle and then looking away, shifting uncomfortably. "Pwease…?" He was immediately red when the words didn't come out properly.  
Carlisle chuckled. "I will if you want me to." He rubbed his back and put him back on the bed, sitting next to him. Garrett shuffled closer, trying to get back on his knee. "Come here then," he laughed, grabbing the blanket off the bed and wrapping it around him. "But you have to go to sleep now, okay?" He put him on his lap and he cuddled into him.  
I giggled and reached for my phone.  
"No Awistair," he mumbled.  
When I took the photo they both looked unamused. "I'm sending it to Esme though," I teased.  
"Great," Carlisle replied sarcastically.


	4. Chapter 4

A week later nothing had changed apart from Carlisle going home frustrated and Garrett settling down a bit. The most frustrating bit was that he showed no signs of turning back and only continued to grow at the speed of a normal human child, except from his speech which was remarkably better; most likely from spending time around his friend. We had decided he was about three, although we couldn't be sure. He didn't cry so often now, but he broke down when he couldn't find a way to explain something. He was mostly okay as long as we kept everything to some sort of schedule so he knew what would happen and when. Eating wasn't a problem and neither was bed time; he was mostly well behaved. The hardest part was keeping him amused as none of us had ever had much contact with children.  
The first sign something was wrong was when he didn't wake up at the same time as usual.  
"Garrett," I nudged him. "Wake up, sweetie."  
He begrudgingly opened his eyes, only to drift off again seconds later.  
I giggled. "Come on, you have to get up and have something to eat." I knew what the resulting drama would be if the day did not go as uniformly as every other one did. It seemed to make him unreasonably upset.  
"…tired Katie," he mumbled sleepily.  
"You'll wake up properly once you get up, but you need to eat now," I encouraged.  
"…hmm…" He slipped back into sleep again.  
"Up you get, come on, let's go." I picked him up this time and untangled him from the blankets. "Breakfast time."  
"No…" he whined quietly, clinging to me.  
I ignored him and took him downstairs and into the kitchen, putting him at the table like I did every morning since this started. I put his food in front of him and turned to talk to Carmen.  
After a few minutes she giggled. "Aww, he's so cute," she chuckled, looking over my shoulder.  
I turned around only to find that he had gone back to sleep and had not touched his breakfast. I couldn't help but smile as I went to take him back to bed.

It was hours before he even stirred again. When he eventually did wake up, all he did was climb onto my lap and start to go to sleep again.  
I frowned. "Did you not sleep very well last night, honey?" I pushed his hair out of his face and he lent into my hand, making me smile. "You should have told me you were struggling, love," I scolded lightly.  
"…didn't wake up though…" he mumbled tiredly.  
"Have we been putting you to bed too late then?" I asked, trying to find the reason for his exhaustion.  
"…don't know…"  
I hugged him tightly and let him sleep.

"Katie…" Garrett whimpered softly from the bottom of the stairs.  
I hadn't even realised he was there; I thought he was still asleep.  
"What's the matter, love?" I asked, turning away from the others to face him over the back of the seat.  
He looked at his feet, sucking on the end of his sleeve.  
"Guess who's out of bed?" Eleazar laughed, coming up behind him and picking him up, throwing him over his shoulder. Usually this provoked hysterical giggles on Garrett's behalf, but today he just held onto him. "What's up with you today, huh?" he rearranged him so he was more comfortable.  
He whimpered again, cuddling into him.  
"You two look very sweet like that," Carmen told them, smiling.  
"He might be sweet, but I don't know about me," Eleazar chuckled but his smile turned into a frown. "Kate, he's kind of warm." He pushed his hair off his face. "Are you not feeling well, my little friend?"  
Garrett mumbled something I couldn't hear.  
Eleazar put him on my knee.  
"Are you hungry? You haven't eaten today," I asked him, trying to get him to sit up but he didn't seem to want to.  
He shook his head, leaning on my shoulder.  
"He has a temperature," Eleazar repeated.  
I put my hand against his forehead. It was hotter than usual, but didn't seem to be too bad.  
"What's happening, Garrett? What's the matter?" I asked him.  
He didn't respond.  
"Come, I think we'd better get you something to eat, or at least get you to drink."

"Here you go, honey," I handed him a cup. He had refused to touch his food, but took a cautious sip of drink. "Good boy. Are you still tired?"  
He nodded and almost dropped the cup.  
I sighed. "What do you want to do now?" I assumed he would have a fit if I tried to make him go back to bed.  
"…can I go back to sleep?" he asked like I might growl at him for wanting that.  
"Of course you can," I chuckled.  
He gave me a shaky smile and pushed the cup away.  
I scooped him up off the table and carried him back to our room. After I tucked him up in the blankets I turned to leave.  
"Kate…?" he ask shyly.  
"Yes?"  
"Can you stay with me…?"  
I smiled as he fidgeted, waiting for me to reply. "Of course I can."  
He relaxed immediately.  
I noticed he was flushed and slightly pale. I lay beside him and he cuddled into me, letting me play with pieces of his hair.


	5. Chapter 5

Garrett stirred suddenly.  
I glanced it the clock. It was only 3am so I hoped he wouldn't be wanting to get up now.  
His body jerked unexpectedly and a few seconds later he was violently sick.  
"Garrett sit up," I begged him urgently; pulling him so he was leaning upright against me. "I don't want you choking."  
As he threw up again he started to cry, struggling to breath at the same time.  
"It's okay, love," I rubbed his back.  
He coughed and was sick again.  
A sinking feeling formed in my stomach.  
He hugged himself, trying to keep as still as possible. "Make- it stop-" he pleaded between gasps.  
My heart broke. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I don't know how."  
The next time he threw up he cried out, whimpered and bursting into a whole new round of tears.  
"God, I'm so sorry, honey." I wanted to cry as well; it was awful seeing your mate so upset and not being able to make it any better.  
He squirmed uncomfortably and covered his mouth, gasping for breath.  
As quickly as I could, I took him into the kitchen, praying he wouldn't get sick on the way. I sat him on the bench by the sink, gently hugging him while he sobbed. "It's okay, baby." I pushed his hair out of the way and kissed the top of his head. "Do you still feel sick?"  
He sniffed and nodded.  
"My poor sweetie." I put my hand on his forehead only to find he was scarily warm. "Jesus, Garrett."  
"Hey you, what are we doing out of bed mister?" Tanya laughed, not really looking at us as she came in and disappeared inside the pantry.  
"He's sick," I managed to choke out. "Like really, really sick."  
"Aww, that's no good," she kept her tone light as she came over to us but I could see the worry etched on her face.  
Garrett looked down at his lap.  
She touched the side of his face and he squirmed again. I could see him trying to resist leaning against her. "Hang on a minute," she said, although I wasn't sure who to. She returned holding a cloth which she wiped his face with. It seemed to calm him a bit. "You have a very high temperature, little one," she told him. "Does your tummy hurt?"  
He nodded shyly, fidgeting and starting to shiver a bit. He still didn't look up.  
"It's okay, you're allowed to get sick," she assured him.  
"…c-cold…" he whimpered.  
"Okay, sweetie, we'll find you a blanket."  
Tanya disappeared and came back with one.  
I wrapped it around him and picked him up again.  
He was an odd shade of pale and his skin was too hot for comfort. He lent his head against my shoulder, still shivering terribly. I took him and sat by the fire, trying to both simultaneously warm him up and cool him down. He had his arms wrapped tightly around his middle and was sort of hunched over in pain. I rubbed his back, not knowing what else to do.  
Tanya came in holding the phone and a thermometer with a frown on her face. She crouched in front of us. "I need you to put this in your mouth, okay?" she asked him gently.  
He hesitated before nodding slowly and letting her put it under his tongue. Once it beeped she removed it.  
"105.2," she repeated into the phone. Not long after she let out a frustrated sigh. "We can't bloody well do that, Carlisle, they'll notice he's not normal."  
"What are we doing?" I asked, concerned. I held him closer to me.  
"He wants us to take him to the hospital," she told me.  
"No," Garrett squeaked, reaching up to hold onto me.  
"We can't go in there," she growled. "Can't we just wait until you-"  
He cut her off but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Suddenly she handed the phone to me.  
"What's going on?" I asked him.  
"I don't know but please just take him to the hospital," he begged me. I could hear in his voice he was scared. "He's the same as any other human so it won't look unusual to them, but he needs to see a doctor and he can't wait the amount of time it takes me to get there and I'm not a paediatrician anyway so I'm kind of out of my depth."  
"Carlisle…if there's blood I'll end up killing someone," I admitted quietly.  
"Well it's either their life or Garrett's- please just take him; it's dangerous for little kids to have a temperature that high even if they're not throwing up and if he gets dehydrated then…" he trailed off.  
"Can you come please?" I asked quietly.  
"You have to take him to hospital," he pleaded.  
"I know, I will," I ignored the sobs of protest from Garrett. "But if they admit him I can't stay there long and I don't think anyone in this coven-"  
"Okay," he interrupted. He sounded incredibly relieved.  
"Thank you- come here, sweetheart, you'll be alright, they won't hurt you," I tried to calm down the toddler who had worked himself up so much I was going to be surprised if he wasn't sick again.  
Tanya took the phone away again so I could help him.  
"Honey I'm going to take you to see some strange people, but they're not going to hurt you, okay?" I told him. He shakily wiped his face but couldn't stop the tears. "I know you don't want to go but I love you and I can't let anything happen to you so we have to do what Carlisle says."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I've had this chapter ready for ages but I sort of forgot about it but this morning I got some notifications in my email about reviews so here we go…sorry about the wait guys (: **

We sat in the emergency room for hours, Garrett just clinging to me with his face buried in the crook of my neck. I kept my arms around him, trying to keep him from seeing some of the things around him. Off to the side of us was a man with a stab wound, further along someone who'd been beaten, and someone else who was sneezing and coughing like there was no tomorrow.  
My throat burned from all the blood around me, the smell amplified from being trapped in a room with it all. But Garrett was more important than that. So I would stay here.  
"Katie," he whispered, nuzzling into me further.  
"Hmm?" I smoothed down his hair, making sure he didn't glance up.  
"…Tummy hurts…" he whimpered, wincing as he spoke.  
"I know, honey, I'm sure we'll see the doctor soon." I kissed the top of his head.  
He shook his head, reaching down to put his hand on his stomach. "Kate," he whined desperately, starting to squirm.  
"Shh, keep still."  
He let out a small sob, covering his mouth.  
I suddenly realised what he meant and held a container in front of him, pushing his hair back before he was sick. It happened a few more times and he became more and more upset, his face becoming hotter and hotter. His hair was damp and stuck to him and he was both shivering and sweating.  
"Come here, sweetie, let's go get you cleaned up." I stood, carefully rearranging him in my arms, and took him into the bathroom. Getting some paper towels, I wiped his face with cold water before helping him wash his hands and straightening his clothes so they sat properly. "Do you need to go toilet?"  
He shook his head, reaching up for me to hold him again.  
I scooped him up, cradling him against me. "My poor baby," I murmured, taking him back into the waiting room.

"Carlisle!" he cried, reaching for him as we sat down.  
"Hey buddy," he smiled, taking him from me and putting him on his lap. "You're not feeling well, huh?"  
He shook his head, in tears but happy, I think, and hugged him tightly.  
"We'll get you better, I promise." He hugged him back before getting him to sit down and stop moving.  
Garrett just lent against him, holding onto his shirt. I could see him fighting sleep, exhausted from not sleeping.  
I had to admit, I was a little jealous that it was Carlisle he was cuddled up to and not me.  
It only took him a few minutes to fall asleep, slightly curling up. He sucked on the end of his sleeve, but I wasn't sure if it was because he felt sick or not.  
Carlisle chuckled, tightening his arms around him a little. "He's such a cute kid," he whispered to me, smiling again.  
"I know," I giggled, running my fingers through his hair and shifting his off his face.  
The doctor came up and cleared his throat. "Garrett Denali?" he asked.  
I nodded, relieved it was finally time.  
"Are you both his parents? We can only allow family though."  
Me and Carlisle looked at each other before nodding simultaneously.  
Come this way." He took us through the double doors and into a cubical, motioning us to the bed. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"  
"He starting vomiting at about three this morning and his temperature is really high-"  
As if to emphasise my words Garrett threw up again, taking Carlisle by surprise. It covered the bed and dripped onto the floor. His face flushed bright red, embarrassment heating his cheeks.  
"It's okay, Garrett, you're in a hospital; it happens all the time," Carlisle assured him, moving them both away from the mess.  
The doctor cringed and then rolled his eyes.  
"I'm sorry," he cried, trying to wipe his tears away.  
"It's fine. It's not your fault," Esme's husband insisted. "They'll change everything and then you can sleep for a while, okay?" He spoke softly and it seemed to calm him a little.  
"He keeps saying his stomach hurts as well," I finished telling the doctor.  
He nodded and called for a nurse and within minutes everything was clean again. He took his temperature and recorded several other things before smiling tightly. "Alright, kiddo, lie down on the bed and lift up your shirt for me."  
I caught the panicked look on Garrett's face. "No! I don't want to-" He was crying again and was holding onto Carlisle so tightly it looked like it hurt.  
"He's not going to hurt you, honey," I assured him rubbing his shoulder.  
"I d-don't want him to touch me," he whispered, glancing up at me.  
"He has to touch you," I chided gently.  
He shook his head, his eyes wide.  
"Garrett," I sighed, trying very hard not to get frustrated. I knew he was only a child, but it was hard not to be.  
Carlisle brushed his hair off his face, capturing his attention. "Garrett," he murmured softly. "He needs to have a look at you to see what's wrong with your tummy, okay?" As he spoke, he gently placed his hand on his stomach.  
He nodded fearfully and let himself be put down. As Carlisle slowly slid his shirt up he never took his eyes off his face. His sleeve was back in his mouth again as the Doctor ran his fingers over his skin, pushing down in certain places. When he pressed into his side, Garrett yelped and recoiled from him, sobbing hysterically.  
"Shh, shh, Garrett, it's okay, baby." I pushed past the doctor and pulled him into my arms, kissing his face over and over again. "It's okay."  
He tried to speak to me but the words wouldn't form, his speech almost as bad as it was when he was first changed.  
The doctor's lips were thinned out into a hard line. "We're going to have to take some blood. We need to run some tests." He left and returned holding two different needles and a few vials.  
Garrett freaked out, crying my name over and over again. His breath hitched in his throat until he was coughing, about to make himself sick again.  
"Love, you need this, I'm sorry," I told him, wanting to cry myself as I held him against the bed, trapping his little arm so he couldn't move.  
"No! Katie- pwease don't-" He struggled against me. He stumbled over his words like they didn't feel right.  
"I have to, honey." I kissed his forehead. His skin was very, very hot.  
He violently shook his head, his whole body shaking.  
As the doctor brought it down against his skin, he screamed. "C-Carwile do it," he pleaded.  
If anything else had been happening, I would have laughed myself silly at how cute the way he said his friend's name was.  
"It's just a little pinch," the man insisted, digging it in to find a vein for the blood test.  
He cried harder. "Carwile- pwease-"  
I grabbed the doctor's arm, unable to stand it any longer. "Carlisle- I mean, my husband is a doctor; maybe he should do it," I suggested, raising my eyebrows at Carlisle.  
He nodded but looked cautious.  
The doctor sighed and pulled it out again.  
Blood dribbled out of the small hole, and the smell was intoxicating. I'd never smelt anything like it. The only thing that stopped me from sinking my teeth into my poor little Garrett was Carlisle's hand on my shoulder.  
He took the needle from the other man and knelt beside him. "Are you sure you want me to be the one to do this, Garrett?" he asked softly.  
Garrett nodded, still crying but to a lesser intensity.  
"Okay then. It will sting but it will be over soon," he assured him.  
He sniffed, wiping his face with his other hand as he slid it under his skin.  
"I'm sorry," Carlisle winced, looking more uncomfortable than Garrett did. Soon all the vials were filled and he handed them to the doctor.  
"Was that so bad?" I asked, cuddling him once all the sharp objects were away.  
He shook his head. "…didn't hurt when he did it…"  
I smiled at Carlisle, grateful.  
He just looked tense, running his hand through his hair and making it sort of messy. "Ahh…Kate? We have to put a lure in," he whispered so quietly that the humans couldn't hear.  
"Oh. _Oh._" I glanced down at Garrett. "Baby, I need you to be brave for me, okay? Carlisle has to do something that's not very nice, but it has to be done and you trust him, right?"  
"Y-yeah…"  
"Good boy." I kissed his cheek and set him down. He fidgeted but didn't look overly concerned.  
Carlisle looked at me with wide eyes. "Kate I've never put a lure in a little kid before…it's a big tube, I might burst the vein…" He fidgeted nervously.  
"You'll be fine." I had a lot more faith in him than in the other doctor.  
He swallowed hard and glanced down at Garrett who looked up at him expectantly. "…Okay," he mumbled hesitantly, bending down again. He held his breath, feeling for the vein before gently pushing the thicker needle in.  
Garrett gasped and Carlisle apologised several times in quick secession.  
After about a minute he pulled back and smiled at me. "It's in."  
"Thank you!" I hugged him and then realised I'd never done it before. He was warm and smelt like honey. "Thank you so much!" I sat down and lifted Garrett onto my lap while a nurse hooked the lure up to the drip, administering pain relief.  
"That should take away your tummy ache, little one," she smiled. Once she was done she ran her down Carlisle's arm. "Well done, that must have taken some skill." She smiled seductively, tracing the seam of his jacket. "Was that your first time?"  
She had obviously missed the lie about us being married.  
"Ahh…Sort of…" He stepped back against the wall to get away from her.  
"Any other things you need to experience for the first time?" She stepped forward too, reaching up to touch the collar of his shirt.  
"What- um…don't you have something else to do?" he asked, dodging her.  
She pouted. "Only you, honey." She winked.  
He shuddered. "Kate, I think she wants to join us on our honey moon," he said, glancing at me.  
She muttered something and stalked out of the room.  
I burst out laughing, struggling not to jostle Garrett too much in the process. "Does that happen often?"  
"…More often than I'd like…" He smiled shyly. "The virgin thing is new though. They usually assume the opposite."  
We looked at each other and started laughing again.

"Mr and Mrs Denali?" Suddenly the Doctor burst into the room with a worried expression, making the light atmosphere disappear instantly. "I need to speak to immediately…"


	7. Chapter 7

The doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Garrett has an appendicitis. We need to remove his appendix as soon as possible. The surgery is full tonight but tomorrow afternoon we should be able to operate."  
My breaths caught in my throat and I struggled not to cry. "W-what?"  
"It's okay," Carlisle murmured, squeezing my hand. "It's just a little operation."  
"No! You can't do that to him!" I cried, angry at the man for ever suggesting it. "He's only a baby!"  
"Kate," Carlisle stood in front of me, forcing me to look at him. "He needs this. If his appendix bursts he's going to be a lot worse off. He's going to feel a hell of a lot better…"  
I swallowed hard and nodded. "Couldn't you do something else?"  
The doctor shook his head.  
I pushed away from them both and went back into the room, wrapping my arms around Garrett and pulling him into my lap. "My poor little one," I murmured to him, kissing his forehead.  
He stirred slightly in his drug induced sleep, nuzzling closer to me.  
They couldn't do that to him, they just couldn't; he was too little. And he would be so scared and upset. They couldn't do it, not to my Garrett.  
I was vaguely aware that Carlisle was standing there again and glanced up at him pleadingly. "We cant let them do this…It'll hurt him," I begged.  
He sighed softly and sat on the edge of the bed, putting his hand on my knee. "Katie if they don't do this Garrett could die. He's okay while it's still intact but if it were to burst his life will be in danger…"  
If it had been anyone else in any other situation, I would have shocked them so hard they cried for calling me Katie but for some reason it was comforting and I just wanted to hug him again.  
"B-but he's so little…"  
"I know," he sighed, watching him.  
"Surely there's something else they can do?" I pleaded.  
He frowned and shook his head.  
I nervously ran my fingers through Garrett's hair and it calmed me as much as it did him.  
He glanced up at me, confusion evident on his face. "Katie," he whimpered, reaching up to put his arms around my neck.  
I wrapped my arm around him, supporting his weight. "What's the matter, honey?" My voice felt thick like I wanted to cry.  
"Nothing," he mumbled, resting his head on my shoulder and cuddling closer.  
I rubbed my hand up and down his back, feeling the heat rolling off him from his temperature. "How's your tummy?"  
"Okay."  
"That's good." I kissed the top of his head.  
A nurse came into the room and Carlisle looked relieved that it wasn't _the_ nurse. "We're moving you up to a ward," she smiled. "It will be quieter but there and your little one will sleep better."  
I nodded, opting to carry him rather than put him back on the bed like she wanted.  
She let me, but I could tell she was hesitant.

The ward was brightly coloured; giant animal stickers all over the walls, inspirational quotes twisting around them, and the floor was the brightest shade of white possible. All the nurses wore either pink or yellow uniforms and smiling faces. The light seemed to reflect off every surface, making the whole ward obnoxiously bright.  
As soon as we came through the doors Garrett squirmed and hid his face in my shirt, the light hurting his eyes. I squeezed him a little tighter, trying to keep him calm.  
The nurse led us into a room by ourselves and I breathed a sigh of relief; there was no way I would have been able to stay around those humans any longer, my throat was already raw and it was hard even holding Garrett. I thanked her and she left us alone.  
"Come on, sweetie, let's get you in bed," I told him, prying him off me and setting him down.  
"Katie," he sniffed, reaching for me again.  
"No, love, I cant be close to you right now…"  
His breaths caught in his throat and he sucked the end of his sleeve as the tears started to fall. "Kate…"  
I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Garrett. I cant."  
He tried to talk to me again but was cut off by quiet sobs.  
"No, honey, don't cry," I begged him, but it was too late. All I could do was watch him hopelessly as he dissolved into tears.  
"Shh, Garrett, it's okay," Carlisle assured him, scooping him up and hugging him. "It's alright."  
Although his cries got louder he became calmer. Within minutes he was quiet again.  
He lay on the bed with him and just running his hand up and down his side was enough to put him to sleep.  
"Thank you," I squeaked, trying very hard not to cry myself. It should be me comforting him.  
"Do you need to hunt?" he asked carefully.  
I shook my head. "I'm not leaving Garrett."  
"Kate-"  
"I'm not leaving him."  
He sighed and nodded, starting to smile again as Garrett cuddled closer.

I sat on the bed next to my little one, taking his hand in mine. The doctor stood behind my shoulder, waiting to take him away. "I know you're scared, sweetie, but everything is going to be okay. I'll see you in a few hours, alright? I'll be there when you wake up," I promised, kissing his forehead and wiping the tears off his face. "I love you, honey."  
He just cried silently and I had to forcefully prize his fingers off mine.  
"You'll be okay." I tried to smile as they took him away but it shook and fell.  
Carlisle's arms wrapped themselves around my waist, hugging me tightly. "He'll be fine, Kate. You'll see," he murmured as I leant against him.  
I nodded, knowing if I spoke my voice would break.

Sure enough, two hours later I had Garrett snuggled up against my side. I rubbed circles into his back while he squirmed restlessly in his sleep. He still hadn't woken up, but everyone assured me that was normal. He looked so vulnerable lying there tangled in the sheet, his hair all messed up and a lure stuck in his arm.  
After a while his eyes flickered open, trying to focus on something but seemingly unable.  
"It's okay," I whispered to him, smiling as I wiped away the few tears that fell as he failed to comprehend what was happening.  
He shakily tried to sit up, struggling to support himself in his drug induced state. In the end he gave up and reached for me, wanting to be held. More tears welled in his eyes as I hesitated, unsure whether I should move him. "Katie," he whined desperately, wiping his face with his free arm.  
"Okay, okay." I gently lifted into my lap, stroking the side of his face with my thumb. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"  
"Tired," he mumbled .  
"Are you sore?"  
"…Little bit…" he replied. He fidgeted with the edge of his shirt, starting to fall asleep again.  
"Better than before?" I asked, kissing the side of his face.  
He nodded, cuddling into me and relaxing. "…Love you, Katie."  
I smiled. "I love you too, Garrett. Just go to sleep now; the medicine might make you feel funny otherwise."  
He nodded again, closing his eyes and drifting off again.  
Someone cleared their throat and I glanced up to face the doctor. "Garrett should be able to go home tomorrow morning, as long as there are no complications," she told me.  
I held him a little tighter when she spoke of 'complications'.  
"He should be fine though," she assured me. "Everything went well. Apart from this, he's a healthy little one."  
I grinned back at her, relieved, and she must have seen it in my face.  
She sat on the bed next to me. "I know it's hard not to worry, but he really is going to be fine. I know if it was my little girl I'd be a wreck, but you're a good mother, Kate; he's lucky to have you."  
At the mention of mother Carlisle choked on whatever he was pretending to drink – or actually drinking; I could never be sure with him – and started to laugh, disguising it at a cough before gaining composure again. I rolled my eyes at him but it was weird realising that's how people saw us; a mother, father and child, rather than wife, husband and best friend. I couldn't help but smile either, holding back my own laughter. This was defiantly the strangest and most elaborate lie I'd tried to pull off as a vampire.  
"Thank you," I managed to reply reasonably evenly.  
She gave me another warm smile before standing again.

The next afternoon I was cuddled up with Garrett and in our own room again.


	8. Chapter 8

It only took a day before Garrett was back to his normal self, or more, as normal as he could be as a child. Even so, he was clingy and hated being left alone for very long, especially away from me. Although he didn't complain, I could tell he was getting bored; our adult lives did not interest him in the slightest. He was almost at the point where the expression 'bored to tears' became reality, and we were clutching at straws to avoid the impending tantrum that would ensue if we failed to amuse him with _something_.  
"What do other kids do?" Carmen asked, leaning on the table as I made him lunch.  
He fidgeted restlessly but still didn't whine like other children would. He did well, really.  
"I have absolutely no idea," I sighed, putting the plate in front of him. "What do you want to do, love?"  
He mumbled something with him mouth full and we both struggled to understand him.  
"Swallow, honey," I chuckled, meaning to scold him but trying to.  
He did and then shrugged. "I don't know…"  
"Carlisle might know," Carmen suggested.  
"I think we need to give Carlisle a break," I laughed. "He must be sick of the site of us after being married to me for a week."  
She giggled and shook her head. "Esme might kill us if we steal anymore of his attention."  
I snickered, handing Garrett a cup of juice.  
"Take him to the park. Kids like that, don't they?" Eleazar suggested from the doorway.  
Me and Carmen looked at each other and then at Garrett.

Eleazar ran forward and scooped Garrett up, making him laugh and squeal, and threw him over his shoulder. He moved faster than we should in front of humans, but Tanya let him carry on, only focused on my little one.  
"Be careful with him," Carmen warned, watching the two of them. "He's only little, remember."  
Eleazar rolled his eyes. "We're just having fun."  
Garrett laughed hysterically while he tickled him, squirming in his arms. "No- Eleazar- can't breathe-" he choked out between gasps.  
"You want me to stop?" he teased, giggling himself.  
Unable to get any more words out he just tried to push his hands away, wriggling and unable to keep still.  
He let his hands be stilled and put him on the swing, grinning in question.  
Immediately Garrett's laughter cut off and he squeezed the chains so tightly his hands were white. "What if i fall? Will i have to go back to hospital?" he asked nervously, looking up at me.  
"Eleazar wouldn't let you fall, honey. He's right there," I smiled at him.  
He glanced up Eleazar, biting his lip.  
"Do you want to try?" he asked, reaching down to mess up his hair.  
He nodded cautiously, swinging his feet in the free space underneath him.  
He slowly pushed him, making it sway slightly until it gradually became higher and higher.  
Soon Garrett was giggling again, begging him to push him higher and watching the ground move below him.  
"That's as far as it will go," Eleazar chuckled. "You don't want to go right around, do you?"  
"Yes!" he cried excitedly, making everyone watching him laugh.  
"I think maybe we should wait until we get you changed back to try that," he laughed. "Then it will be the swing we break instead of you."  
Eventually Garrett's excitement subsided and I sensed him getting tired.  
"Come here, you." I grabbed him off the seat as he swung forward and pulled him into a hug, kissing the top of his head.  
He cuddled into me for a moment before squirming to get down.  
I sighed and sat him on the grass, flopping down next to him and looking up at the clouds.  
"That one looks like a kitty," he told me, smiling widely and pointing one out.  
I laughed; it seemed like the longer he stayed a child the more he took on a child's characteristics, for example wanting to play on the swing and calling things 'kitties' rather than cats. It was adorable, really.  
I strained to find another shape but apparently my imagination wasn't good enough.  
"And a teddy!" He pointed to another, his face lighting up.  
After he found three more I gave up and watched him instead. His cheeks were flushed from being outdoors and his eyes sparkled with amusement. I didn't think I'd ever seen him smile as much as he had today, even if it was over little things that I thought nothing of.  
He sat up suddenly, watching something across the field. His smile faded when he realised he couldn't go to it.  
"Hey, do you want to try something?" Tanya asked, coming to stand in front of him. She held out her hands and he slowly slid his fingers through hers, carefully watching her face. She gently pulled him to his feet, supporting most of his weight.  
He swayed slightly before catching his balance and becoming semi-steady.  
She took a step backwards, leading him forward.  
He took a few shaky steps toward her, grinning widely.  
"It's not that hard, is it?" she chuckled happily.  
He shook his head, slowly gaining more confidence as they continued until they were about six feet away from me.  
She let go of his hands, stepping back again.  
His eyes widened in fright. "Tanya," he whined. "...Im scared…"  
"It's alright, I'll catch you if you fall," she assured him. "Just try."  
He stumbled forward, tripping after two steps.  
She grabbed him, lifting him back onto his feet and turning him around. "Try and walk back to Katie."  
He sucked on his sleeve, his eyes wide and frightened.  
"It's okay, love. I'll catch you." I sat up and move closer, holding my arms out.  
"What if I fall…" he squeaked. "Will I have to go back..?"  
"No, baby, come here." I rushed forward and picked him up. "Stop worrying about the hospital, okay? You only have to go when you're really, really sick, and the doctor said you were perfectly fine apart from your tummy." I hugged him until his breathing regulated again, his anxiety subsiding.  
"…Go to Tanya…" he mumbled, wriggling in my arms.  
"What?" I asked, confused.  
"Want to walk…" he clarified.  
I smiled and set him down, steadying him on his feet.  
Tanya crouched, holding her arms out to catch him if he fell.  
He held onto me nervously for a few seconds before shakily stumbling over to her.  
We both cheered, making him giggle, and across the field Eleazar and Carmen clapped.  
He did it a few more times before falling into my arms, hugging me as tightly as he could.  
"You did well, sweetie. Is it time to go home now?" I murmured, kissing his cheek.  
He nodded, burying his face in my neck, tired.  
"Okay then. Let's go and get some dinner first though, alright?"  
He nodded, blushing brightly when his stomach growled.  
"I think you tummy agrees," I chuckled, taking him toward the car. "I think it's time we tried something new. One more stop before home."


	9. Chapter 9

By the time we got home, Garrett was asleep in my lap, surrounded by a halo of junk food wrappers.  
"If that wasn't the most disgusting thing I've ever put in my mouth," Eleazar muttered, pulling a face.  
"I told you," Carmen teased, grinning as she hugged him.  
"Bed time?" Tanya asked, letting them have their private moment.  
I ran my fingers through Garrett's hair, shifting it off his face. "I think so."  
"Can I hold him?" She was almost shy now.  
"Of course you can," I chuckled, sliding him into her arms. "But he is full. Don't jostle him too much; I don't want him to be sick."  
"I'll be careful," she assured me, hugging him gently. "Let's go to bed, little one."  
"I think Garrett has become the coven teddy," Eleazar snickered, his arm around Carmen as he watched Tanya take him up the stairs. "I mean, we all want to cuddle him."  
I giggled. "I think he might be, my poor baby."  
"Oh please. He loves cuddles."

About two hours later, Tanya called me name from upstairs. I bolted, panicking once I heard that Garrett was crying.  
"What's wrong? What happened? Are you hurt?" I asked frantically, quickly picking him up and untangling from the blankets.  
Tanya smiled ruefully. "Tell her, Garrett, it's okay." To me she whispered "he's so adorable I'm going to explode."  
"What's wrong, honey?" I hugged him, kissing his cheek.  
"C-Carlisle," he sniffed, burying his face in my shoulder.  
"What about him, love. He went home, remember? Because you were feeling better?" I ran my hand up and down his back.  
He cried harder, his little body shaking with sobs. "M-miss h-him…"  
I almost laughed; it was unbelievably cute. "Aww, baby."  
He just cried and cried, hugging me tightly, but I couldn't get him to calm down.  
"Hey, Garrett?" Tanya started. She nudged him and then handed him her phone. "Do you to talk to him, sweetie?"  
His eyes lit up and he took it from her, smiling widely. "Carlisle!"  
"Garrett don't yell, you'll deafen him," I chided, giggling.  
"Shouldn't you be in bed, little one?" Carlisle chuckled.  
"No," Garrett answered quickly, sucking on his sleeve.  
"Are you sure? It's almost midnight," he teased.  
"So."  
He laughed, and it wasn't the first time I noticed how pretty the sound was. I shook the thought from my head. Carlisle was Carlisle. Nothing else.  
"We went to the park today and then we went to get ice cream and hot chips and it was cold and Katie made me put a jumper on but it wasn't really that cold and Tanya and Katie taught me how to walk but I still fall over sometimes and now it's supposed to be bed time but…but…but…" he went quiet, his face becoming warm as he blushed.  
"But what? Are you not tired, Garrett?" I could tell Carlisle was smiling and it made me smile.  
"…But I miss you…" he mumbled.  
"I miss you too." He wasn't laughing anymore and sounded kind of sad. "But, I think that you'll miss me a whole lot less if you're asleep."  
"Can you come and see us soon?" he pleaded.  
"Of course I can." He laughed again. "I love you, Garrett."  
"I love you too," he giggled.  
Over the phone, I could hear Alice laughing and teasing Carlisle, and his sharp remark back which was too low for Garrett's ears.  
I took the phone off him and handed it back to Tanya. "Okay, you. Bed time." I wrapped him in the blanket and set him on the bed, kissing the top of his head.  
"Okay, Katie," he smiled, a lot more settled now. He snuggled down in the blankets, happily closing his eyes.

In the morning after breakfast, Eleazar took Garrett out into the yard. I watched out the window as they tumbled around in the grass, Garrett becoming overly excited over butterflies and other little insects that they disturbed.  
"He doesn't sparkle anymore. I mean, he is human, I guess I should have expected it, but…"  
I jumped at the sound of his voice and spun around to face Carlisle. "When did you get here? I didn't hear you…"  
"Just now." He sort of smiled, but spoke very softly and it was obvious something wasn't right.  
"Garrett will be pleased," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.  
He glanced out the window, his smile slightly more genuine when he saw him. "How has he been?"  
"Hyperactive. No attention span. A little whiney. But adorable as anything," I laughed.  
He laughed too. "He walks now." It wasn't a question, more of an observation.  
"Yeah, we're teaching him slowly. He's a pretty good learner."  
"His speech?"  
"It's fine, unless he gets really upset."  
He lent forward against the counter, resting his chin in his hands and his arm against the bench. "We should take him to the zoo. I think he'd like that. Or at least a pet shop. He might like the animals. Maybe they would let him hold a kitten or something- it's kitten season now- oh and they'd have puppies. If we need to teach him responsibility maybe we could get him a budgie or a gold fish or something. Or a hamster. They're kind of cute, aren't they?-"  
I stopped listening then, distracted by just watching him speak; It was the most I'd ever heard him say. His eyes were darker now, which made his skin seem paler and his hair lighter. He positioned himself in such a way that the sunlight didn't touch him. When he smiled, I found myself mimicking the action.  
"Nervous, huh?" Tanya chuckled as she walked behind him, placing her hand on his back as she passed.  
"N-nervous?" he stammered, glancing up at her.  
"You ramble – and stutter – when you're nervous. Which you're doing now." She smirked at him before leaving the room.  
He looked down, and I knew his face would have flushed if he'd been human.  
I lent next to him on the bench, my back touching the edge of it so he was facing me. "So what are you nervous about?"  
"It doesn't matter," he mumbled, glancing away again and sort of turning so he wasn't face to face with me.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," I chuckled, trying to relax him again. "I guess that's Esme's job, huh?"  
He winced slightly, letting his hair fall over his face and tapping his fingers nervously on the bench. I could see he was anxious, and he looked almost close to tears.  
"Carlisle..?" I squeezed his shoulder, sort running my hand down his back. "What's wrong..?"  
When he hesitated, hiding his face from me, he instantly reminded me of Garrett and my chest hurt a little.  
"Come here." I hugged him tightly. "Are you alright?"  
"Me and Esme…We're just…we fight all the time…and…" He went quiet and stiffened like he'd said something wrong.  
"And what? It's okay, Gar- ah, Carlisle. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay?" I told him softly, gently putting my arms around him.  
He broke down then, covering his face with his hands while he cried.  
I hugged him again. "It's okay. It's alright, Carlisle, it's okay."  
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, still not looking at me.  
"It's fine, I promise you."  
He hesitated again. "…we're getting divorced…" It was almost a whisper, like he wished I hadn't heard.  
My breath caught in my throat a little. "I'm so sorry, love. I'm so, so, sorry."  
"I need to- I have to- Garrett- I need Garrett," he mumbled, pulling away from me, going outside to sit on the deck a little away from the other two.  
Garrett squealed with excitement, rushing over to show him what he held in his hands; a brightly coloured blue butterfly. He released it after he'd seen it, jumping up and down and pointing as it flew away.  
After a moment, Carlisle captured him in his arms, hugging him and resting his chin on the top of his head.  
Garrett hugged him backed, grinning widely. "You're here!"  
"I told you I would come," he smiled back.  
"Never leave again," he squeaked, hiding his face in his shirt.  
Carlisle laughed but the sound was hollow, not happy at all. "I don't want to, Garrett, trust me."  
"Don't," he insisted.  
Carlisle smiled down at him, lifting him up to stand on his knees. "How about we go on a date later? Just me and you?"  
"YES!" Garrett shrieked. "No Katie!"  
He snickered, before bursting out laughing, unable to help himself.  
"Excuse me!" I chuckled, throwing open the door in mock annoyance.  
Garrett looked up at me guiltily. "I love you…"  
Carlisle struggled to stop laughing enough to speak. "He loves you, Katie, doesn't that make it better?"  
"Sure." I rolled my eyes at them.  
"But he loves me more." He hugged him closer, pulling him down so he was sitting on his lap. "He smells different now he's little."  
"Carlisle Cullen, that's incredibly weird," I teased, happy to see him smiling again.  
He shrugged, still invested in cuddling my husband.  
After a while Garrett got restless and squirmed down and I could see him starting to sulk before he had a reason to.  
"Come on, Garrett. Nap time," I chuckled, reaching down to pick him up. 

**Okay, so I'm not sure where I'm going with the whole Carlisle thing, but to be honest I don't really think Carlisle/Esme should have been together (nobody shoot me please), and I cant really stomach Esme anyway, but now I need a new mate for Carlisle. Any ideas? Any suggestions welcome, I enjoy weird pairings (but not Kate because, come on, her and Garrett are prefect…even if he is currently a child…)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Second update guys (: **

"Garrett," Eleazar sighed. "Please. Come on, buddy, settle down." He bounced him up and down on his knee, trying to get him to be quiet. Half an hour had passed since he started crying, and he showed no sign of stopping.  
"That's enough. If you don't stop this, then you're going to have to go in time out," I threatened. The irritating part of it was that there was nothing wrong. He was two. That was all. Nap time had done nothing to improve his mood.  
My own bad mood was shattered the minute Carlisle laughed, quickly smothering the sound with his hand and looking up apologetically at me from where he sat. "Time out? Really, Kate?" he snickered, too quietly for Garrett to hear.  
"You make him stop then," I muttered.  
He took Garrett from me and put him on the floor. My husband instantly melted, doing the thing only small children could do – turn into a puddle of jelly. A boneless child. I could see Carlisle fighting smiling. "What's wrong?" he asked, even though I _knew_ that he knew the answer.  
Garrett shrugged, still grizzling.  
He just laughed again, picking him up again. "Do you want to go outside? Shall we go for a walk?"  
"It's raining. We'll get wet," Garrett grumbled, taking the words from my mouth.  
"I don't care if _you_ get wet, Carlisle, but he is staying warm and dry inside," I told him, almost motheringly. As I said it I realised I did care; I didn't really want Carlisle going out there either, even though he couldn't get sick.  
"He has a coat, doesn't he?" he argued.  
"Yes, but-"  
"And isn't that what you brought it for?" He was smiling at me now, knowing he had me. Dork.  
"Okay, fine. Go. Take him. But you can deal with any colds or flu's or anything he catches out there." I crossed my arms, trying my best to be mad at him, but I couldn't. 

Within fifteen minutes he had Garrett bundled up in jumpers and rain coats and gumboots until there was absolutely no way he could ever get cold. That kid could have gone into a blizzard and still be warm.  
Garrett was smiling widely, despite the fact he tripped every few steps because of his clothing and was clinging to Carlisle hand.  
"And where's your jacket?" I asked Carlisle, purely so Garrett would bug him about it.  
Sure enough, he looked at him accusingly. "Why do I have to be warm if you can be cold," he whined.  
Everyone laughed, unable to help themselves.  
"Because when I get sick, I have to look after me. And when you get sick, I have to look after you, but I have to go to work still and it's difficult," Carlisle explained.  
"Okay." He nodded, seeming satisfied, and followed him out into the wet.  
"People always say that dads are more fun," Eleazar commented.  
I elbowed him lightly. "We'll see."

And we did see. They both came in covered in mud, soaking wet and grinning like idiots.  
"_Carlisle_," I growled, taking in Garrett's appearance.  
He smiled innocently but I just glared him, scooping up Garrett and taking him straight upstairs.  
"Look at you! You must be freezing, honey!" Once we were in the bathroom I quickly began pulling off his layers of clothing. Suddenly I stopped what I was doing, staring open mouthed.  
"I'm still dry, Katie," he argued, fighting me the entire way.  
"You are, aren't you." I breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess I owe Carlisle an apology, don't I?"  
He nodded, sticking out his tongue at me.  
I giggled. "Okay, you win. But I still need to clean you. You're filthy." I got the flannel and washed the mud off his hands and face, rinsing the remainder of it out of his hair.  
"We made mud men," he told me happily, swinging his legs over the side of the bench I had sat him on.  
"Mud men?" I asked, slowly changing his clothes.  
He co-operated with me this time, making things easier. "Yeah, like snow me, but with mud."  
I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Only Carlisle.  
"And then we killed them," he continued. "With sticks. Like pirates."  
"I'm glad you had fun." Mentally I wished someone had filmed it.  
"And I found a mud slide!" He was so excited I couldn't keep him still now, fidgeting around and trying to get dressed faster than I could manage without hurting him. "But it had sticks and it was sharp."  
"No scratches?" I checked.  
"No scratches," he repeated, sliding onto the floor and making for the door.  
"Garrett!" I growled half-heartedly as he ran down the stairs. "Your hair is still wet!"  
"But I have clothes on!" he called back, already out of sight.  
I followed his voice, slowly walking down the stairs and trying to locate him by his heartbeat.  
"You'd better listen to Katie, Garrett," Carlisle teased.  
"I don't like the hairdryer though…It's noisy," he told him.  
Once I reached the kitchen where they were, I didn't have the heart to take him back upstairs again. He had found his way onto Carlisle's lap and was cuddled up against him, holding onto him so he wouldn't slide away. Carlisle hugged him, supporting him so he didn't fall.  
"Is it dinner time yet?" Garrett asked him, glancing up. He struggled to pushed his hair off his face.  
"I don't know, is it?" he asked back.  
He looked confused, glancing back at me for an answer.  
"Here, Garrett, look. Do you know what this says?" He put his phone on the table, showing him the time.  
"It's your phone," he told him proudly.  
"Yes, but do you know what this number is? Can you read the time?"  
He shook his head shyly, sucking on his sleeve again like he always did when he got nervous.  
Carlisle's smile faltered for a second, but not long enough for my little one to notice. "Tea time!" he announced, standing and then putting him back in the chair.  
Garrett giggled, smiling again.  
"What do you eat…Kate, what does he eat?" he asked, turning to face me.  
I laughed. "I feed him. You go and be warm."  
"I'm a vampire," he teased. "I don't get cold."  
I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, Carlisle," I told him once he got to the door.  
He glanced back at me questioningly.  
"For this." I gestured to Garrett, who was happily waiting for me to feed him. No whining. No crying. Just smiles.  
Carlisle smiled too. "It doesn't matter. I love him. I'd do anything to make him happy."  
At first I couldn't think of anything to say to him confession of affection but then I bit back a smile. "Including making mud men," I whispered under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear.


	11. Chapter 11

**I've had a lot of spare time this week :) IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!**

Teaching Garrett to read was simultaneously the most frustrating and funniest thing I had ever tried to do, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep my patience with him.  
"What's this word?" I asked, pointing to 'at' on the page.  
"…I don't know…" he mumbled after staring at it for a minute.  
"Come on, Garrett, you're not even trying," I snapped. "What does this say?"  
"…I don't know, Katie," he whispered, glancing up at me.  
"We've been over this so many times! How can you not know?!" I shouted at him.  
He ducked his head, his sleeve immediately going into his mouth. His body shook with quiet sobs.  
I sighed heavily. "Because crying makes everything better, doesn't it?" I tossed the pen across the table and it bounced onto the floor.  
He tried to wipe the tears off his face. "I'm sorry…"  
"Kate, I know you're frustrated, but he's only a little kid. It's not his fault," Carmen protested, lifting him out of the chair and hugging him against her.  
He buried his head in her shoulder, starting to cry properly.  
"I know, I'm sorry," I mumbled, rubbing my hands across my face.  
"Look, why don't we enrol him in a preschool or something? He could interact with other children then too; it might be good for him."  
I nodded slowly, thinking the idea over. "I guess we could try it."  
"Come here, honey, I'm sorry." I took him from her and hugged him tightly, smiling when I felt him relax into me. "I know you can't help it."  
"…I'm trying, Katie…" he sniffed.  
"Of course you are!" I rubbed his back, kissing his cheek. "It's okay, sweetheart. We'll get through this."  
He was clinging to me now, but starting to calm down again.  
"Kids don't have to learn to read until they're five anyway, do they?" Eleazar asked, leaning against the doorframe and watching the drama unfold.  
"Yes, but what if he cant remember and we get him changed back," I pressed.  
"Then, I don't know. He's an adult. He'll learn. Carli-"  
"No," I interjected. 'Carlisle' had become a forbidden word in our household, because Garrett missed him so much and cried relentlessly every time someone brought him up.  
"Sorry," he sighed. "I'm sure he'd teach him, anyway."  
"I think we should leave him alone for a while, love," Carmen commented, taking her husband's arm. "He does have his own family."  
He laughed and nodded. "I don't know how many times he's gone from here to Forks over the past few months."  
"Hmm." I tried not to think about Carlisle and Esme, lying to myself that they could work it out after all.

At the sight of the other kids, Garrett went scarily pale, holding onto my fingers with both hands. "No- no Katie I don't want to- don't make me-"  
"Mrs Denali," the woman in the middle of the chaos smiled, coming towards up. "My name is Carol, I'm one of the teachers here." After a few phone calls the day before, we had him set up for his first day at a preschool.  
"Kate," I shook her hand, fighting to keep Garrett calm.  
"And you must be Garrett!" She crouched down in front of him, reaching for his hands. "Come with me, sweet-pea."  
"No!" he screamed, hugging my leg and burying his face in the fabric of my pants.  
"I'm sorry, he's just a little shy," I explained, picking him. "It's okay, baby." I kissed his cheek.  
He was crying hysterically, his entire body shaking. "I don't want to stay," he sobbed, clinging to me.  
"It'll be fun, love." I rubbed circles into his back, running my fingers through his hair. "Everything will be fine."  
He shook his head, refusing to let go of me.  
"Garrett, you need this," I reasoned, gently prying his fingers off me. "You'll be okay, alright? I'll come and get you in a few hours." I set him on the floor and Carol placed her hands on his shoulders, holding him back so he couldn't run to me again. "Goodbye, honey. It won't be long, I promise."  
I worried all the way home, and then the four hours until I could go and get him.

"Katie!" He was instantly in tears again, reaching for me to pick him up. His face was red and hot from crying and he looked exhausted. "I-I-I-I-"  
"Shh, I'm here now. You can go home." I turned to the teacher, giving her an apologetic smile. "Did he settle at all?"  
"A little. Sort of. But he's very nervous around the other children." Her expression mirrored my own.  
"It's okay, Garrett. I've got you." I gently wiped his tears away, letting him cuddle into me.  
"Some of them take a few days to settle in. It's a big change not having their parents around constantly."  
Our entire coven had learnt that when Carlisle had gone home again; Garrett cried for him every night and begged me continuously to ask him to come back.  
"I understand. I'm sorry about all this fuss. He has always been nervous about being separated from me or Carlisle." As soon as I said his name I winced, knowing what effect it would have on my Garrett.  
Sure enough, he cried harder, burying his face in my shirt to try and drown the noise.  
I rocked him carefully, trying to still him. "It's alright, sweetie. Take some deep breaths."  
"Have a good day," Carol continued. "I'll see you tomorrow Garrett-"  
"No," he whimpered into me.  
Both of us laughed  
"You'll feel better about this tomorrow," I whispered to him, kissing the base of his neck.  
He still shook his head.

"Did you have a good day, buddy," Eleazar chuckled, messing up Garrett's already messy hair as we came in the door.  
Garrett let out a small sob and shook his head.  
"He cried the whole time," I smiled sadly.  
"Aww, come here. You want to go for a walk? Do you need some fresh air?" he offered.  
"…Carlisle…" he sniffed, trying to wipe his face.  
"Oh god, here we go," Tanya chuckled. "You know he needs to work, honey."  
He nodded but it was too late; the tears had started.  
"Garrett," I sighed. "You aren't going to feel well if you keep crying, baby."  
"Carlisle," he repeated.  
"I know, sweetie." I kissed the top of his head. "You can talk to him later, okay? While he's on his break."  
He just nodded again and let Eleazar take him, leaning against him as he hugged him.  
"He's probably tired, honey. Don't wear him out," Carmen murmured.  
Eleazar nodded. "I know. I just like holding him. Especially when he's cuddly."  
She chuckled and shook her head at him. "By the time he's an adult again, he's not going to want anyone to touch him ever again."  
"A child raised by inexperienced vampires. This is going to be interesting," I sighed.


	12. Chapter 12

Garrett hid behind me, peeking out as they came up the drive way.  
I reached down to find his hand, running my thumb across his fingers. "It's okay, love. It's just Carlisle's family." _And ex-wife_, I noticed when they came up the path. I picked him up, knowing he was nervous.  
Alice was the first to burst through the door. "Hi Kate! Oh my god you're adorable!" she squealed, reaching for him.  
I surrendered, despite his quiet protest. The whole idea of them being here was for him to practise meeting new people, after all.  
As soon as she had him he started to cry, recoiling from her touch and sucking on his sleeve.  
"Aww, don't cry. I just want a cuddle. You're little. You're supposed to like cuddles." She hugged him anyway, ignoring his reaction.  
Within seconds the entire female populace of the house had surrounded him and I could see him starting to panic, glancing around in search of something familiar.  
"That's enough." Carlisle took him away as Esme passed him to Rosalie, and my little one immediately hugged him. "You're frightening him."  
"I don't like her," Garrett whispered to him, glancing at Esme.  
For a moment I thought Carlisle was going to laugh but he bit back a smile. "She's not that bad, don't worry," he whispered back.  
She rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored the comment.  
"Do you want to go to Katie?"  
"No." He shook his head, tightening his grip.  
"He will literally go everywhere with you, you know that, right?" I asked him, making him laugh.  
"I don't mind."  
"You don't have a choice," I chuckled.  
Garrett looked happy now, although still weary of the people he didn't know.

After a while he apparently warned up to them, even going as far as letting Alice take him outside. The first thing I noticed once he was gone, was the ease between Carlisle and Esme. They still sat together, although they didn't touch, and seemed happy enough to talk to each other.  
"You two seem…brighter this morning," Carmen chuckled, raising her eyebrows at them in question.  
They glanced at each other before Esme spoke. "We're, ah, separating, actually."  
I caught the brief look of hurt that flashed across Carlisle's face but it was quickly replaced with a smile.  
There was a shocked silence from everyone else in my family before Carmen managed to speak. "And you're okay..? I mean, you look alright to be in each other's company…"  
Esme hesitated, looking at Carlisle but he was focused on the carpet. "It hurts, I guess…But we both have people we can talk to. And we still love each other, we just cant be…together." It occurred to me that the person Carlisle was supposed to talk to currently had the mental state of a two year old.  
"We argue- I mean I work too much so I'm not home enough and that's not fair and we fight a lot over it." He looked faintly confused, unsure how much he actually wanted to tell us.  
"It's not your fault, Carlisle." She reached for his hand but he moved it and dropped it into his lap.  
"It's entirely my fault. I could quit-"  
"And then what? You can't just stop working. We'd have to move again-"  
"We _could_ move."  
She shook head. "Don't do this now."  
He bit his lip and remained silent, surrendering.  
"We both know that you can't stand being away from that hospital for more than a week. If you quit, you'll only be depressed again. You know that," she murmured softly, placing her hand on his knee.  
He didn't say anything in reply, but it was clear enough what he wanted to. _I'd rather that then lose you_.  
We were interrupted by Garrett, bursting into the longue in hysterical excitement. "Katie look what Alice found!" He held out his hand, revealing a small, green caterpillar. "It's the baby of the butterfly!"  
I laughed and lifted him onto my knee. "Inside voice please, honey."  
"Can we keep him?" He watched it inch over his fingers, arching it's back every time it moved.  
I almost said no, but the mixture of joy and hope on my little one's face stopped me. I couldn't ruin this for him. "Okay, I'll you find a box for it."  
"_Him_," he corrected me. "His name is Todd."  
"I'll find a box for Todd then," I chuckled. "Come on, you have to help me." I put him on the floor and took his free hand, leading him into the kitchen.  
He ran ahead of me anyway, waiting by the table. "Can we make him a bed?"  
"Sure. How about we put him in here for safe keeping, and you go and find some leaves for him to sleep in?" I found a clear glass and took the bug off him, sliding it inside of the cup.  
He nodded eagerly, running out onto the deck and along the path.  
While he was gone I found an ice-cream container, cutting out part of the sides to create windows, before covering them with cling-wrap so Todd couldn't get out but Garrett could still see him. I poked holes in the lid so he had air and then stuck it on the chair, waiting for him to return.  
Minutes later he ran back in carrying a handful of carefully selected leaves and a few sticks. I let him arrange them how he wanted before helping him put the caterpillar inside the container, closing the lid over it. Garrett knelt on the floor, watching him make his was up one of the sticks. "He's furry," he giggled. "He's got hair on him!"  
"Maybe you could take him to show your teacher," I suggested.  
His eyes widened and he hugged the container. "No- I don't want to go back…"  
"You have to, love. It'll be okay." I picked him up, kissing the top of his head.  
"No," he whispered again. "…What if they hurt Todd?"  
"If you're that worried, then leave him here and I'll looked after him until you get home."  
"I don't want to go, Kate," he whined, on the brink of tears.  
"I know you don't, but you have to."  
He shook his head and buried his face in my shoulder.  
"Garrett," I sighed. "I'm sorry, but you really need this. Carol's nice, isn't she?"  
"Yes, but I miss you," he mumbled into me.  
"I miss you too, but it isn't for that long," I assured him, rubbing my hand up and down his back.  
"It _is_ a long time," he sniffed, tracing the edge of Todd's container with his finger.  
Suddenly I realised what was wrong. "Garrett, sweetie, are you scared of the other kids?"  
He froze and then nodded shyly. "…They're bigger than me…and loud…"  
I picked him up, hugging him as tightly as I could without hurting him. "They won't hurt you, love. Carol will look after you. She'll take good care of you, I promise."  
"I don't want to go," he whimpered, resting his head on my shoulder.  
"I know you don't. But I need you to try it for me, okay? You might like it once you are used to it. I know it's a big change, but I wouldn't take you anywhere that you wouldn't be safe." I kissed the top of his head and he cuddled into me further. "Why don't you go and show the others Todd's house?" I asked, trying to distract him.  
He nodded, excited one more and squirmed to get down, grabbing the container and running into the longue once I released him.

The enthusiastic response from both covens over Garrett's caterpillar was almost laughable. Everyone took a turn at looking in the windows and making a fuss over the bug, much to his delight.  
I leant against the doorframe, waiting until he got to Carlisle before bringing up the subject, thinking he would side with me. "Garrett's going to take Todd to show to his teacher tomorrow," I told them with a smile.  
Garrett's happy expression fell, followed quickly by tears. "No Katie…I don't want to…" He tried to wipe his face dry to hide his tears from the others but couldn't manage, starting to sob quietly instead.  
"You're okay. It's okay, Garrett," Carlisle told him, picking him up and hugging him tightly. "Preschool?" he asked me sceptically.  
I nodded, still expecting him to agree.  
"He's too little, Katie! You can't do that to him!" He looked almost as upset as Garrett was.  
I sighed, exasperated. "You were supposed to be on my side, Carlisle," I grumbled.  
"He's too young," he continued. "The other kids- the other kids."  
"The other kids what? You sound exactly like him, you know. Like a two year old."  
"Kids are mean, Kate. You cant put him through that. It's traumatising." He was holding him like he was protecting him from me.  
I resisted the urge to shock him, but the only thing stopping me was that it would hurt my Garrett.  
"Carlisle, for god's sake, they only children-"  
"And he's only a child!. Don't make him go through that if he doesn't have to." He ran his hand up and down my little one's back, trying to get him to calm down again. "Breathe, Garrett. It's okay," he murmured to him. "Don't make yourself sick."  
"But he _does_ have to! He needs to learn to read and write and probably some form of maths as well-"  
"He's _two_," he hissed at, seeming pissed now. "He's advance for his age. Don't push him."  
"Of course he's advanced! He was an adult before!"  
"That doesn't matter, Kate. He acts like a child and he looks like a child because he is a fucking _child_."  
"Don't swear in front of him," I growled, thoroughly angry at him now, not only for fighting me but for teaching him foul language.  
"That's my point! He doesn't remember anything from before! He didn't know who my coven was, he couldn't tell the time, and he can't read. His memory is wiped, Kate. You're not his wife, you're his _mother_."  
That stung. By god, I wanted to hit him. "He must remember. He has to."  
He smirked at me, the expression somewhat arrogant, proving he was as annoyed with me as I was with him. He was sweeter when he spoke to Garrett. "Hey buddy, do you know who Alistair is?"  
Garrett looked bewildered, sucking on his fingers as he shook his head.  
"Okay, that's okay." He hugged him again, looking accusingly at me.  
"B-but it's only been a few weeks! He cant…" I trailed off, wanting to cry as I realised that my Garrett really was gone. "But…"  
"I'm sorry, Kate, but we need to admit it."  
"I know, I just…" I couldn't hold back a sob, which set Garrett off again, crying and wailing hysterically.  
Carlisle took him out of the room while Carmen hugged me, murmuring over and over again that it would be okay.

Three hours later I was lying on the bed, sort of hugging Garrett while he slept, when there was a soft knock on the door. Immediately I knew who it was.  
"What?" I grumbled quietly as to not wake him.  
"We need to talk about this preschool thing."  
I gritted my teeth, knowing he had picked this moment so as I couldn't yell at him. "He's going."  
"Did you ever go to something like that?" he asked, his voice not portraying the edge mine did.  
I rolled my eyes. "They did not have preschool or kindergarten or anything else a thousand years ago."  
He sighed, defeated. "Yeah, well, I did, and it's horrible, Kate. The kids- they're tiny but they can be cruel. They still push and shove and kick and I know it seems stupid, but it was horrible- it is horrible," he corrected himself, biting his lip and hoping I wouldn't catch it.  
"You were scared of four year old?" I asked, half teasing.  
"When I was a four year old too, yes." He sat on the edge of the bed. "It was awful, Katie. And it made going to school so much worse. If he's scared now, he's going to be terrified when he goes to school. We have to find some way to introduce it to him slowly rather than just shoving him in there," he reasoned.  
"Like what?" I challenged, trying hard to keep my temper under control.  
He thought for a moment. "Maybe…maybe you could go with him for a few days. He's shy; it would make him more comfortable."  
"I cant be in a room full of small children, Carlisle. They'll all be slaughtered by the end of the day. He'll just have to deal with it."  
"Well, I'll go then. If he wants me to."  
I looked at him, trying to calculate whether he was serious.  
"And after a week or so he can try going by himself."  
I didn't reply, knowing he would still suggest him not going at all.  
"And if in another week if he's still as scared as he was today, maybe he shouldn't go at all. At least until he's older…He's only two, Katie."  
"Stop calling me Katie," I muttered. "If you keep calling me that, I'm going to start calling you Carlie. And you have a coven to deal with. They're not going to appreciate you being here all the time, are they?"  
"They don't really care anymore…things are sort of…awkward at the moment." He looked down and I suddenly felt terrible for being mad at him. "It's easier when either me or Esme aren't in the house…"  
I slid across the bed and wrapped my arms around him, ignoring when he became tense. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. I'm sorry for yelling at you, and I'm sorry about Esme…"  
He moved slightly, but I was unsure whether it was to come closer to me or get away. He looked down as well, shielding his face from me so I couldn't read his expression.  
I tried to think of a nice way to phrase my question. "…So what is happening now? Are you staying and Esme leaving or..?"  
He hesitated before answering. "I guess…I think I'm going. I can't make her leave them. She loves them like they're her own children, I cant take that away from her…"  
"What about you, then? They're not going to be pleased about losing either of you."  
He winced slightly. "She's their mother. They need her."  
"What are you doing, Carlisle?" I demanded. "You're leaving, obviously, but have you told them yet? Have you told her? And where are you going, anyway? Have you _thought_ about this at all? They need you as well."  
"No they don't- look, she's their mother. I'm not their father. I love them and I'd do anything for them, but they're not my children. They're dependant on her emotionally and I'm just…their coven leader, I guess. Edward is alright with becoming head of the coven, on the promise that if everything turns to shit then I come back. But it won't. He's perfect for it, really. Esme knows. She's not happy, but she doesn't hate me for it, although she thinks I'm going to France to work in a hospital there…" He trailed off, still not looking up.  
"Where are you actually going, then?" I asked sceptically.  
"To France." He flashed me a fake smile.  
"If you don't tell me right now, Carlisle Cullen, I will send thousands of volts into you in a heartbeat," I threatened.  
He sighed. "I _am_ going to France. Just not to work."  
"To do what?"  
"I feel like I'm being interrogated," he mumbled.  
"Garrett needs to know where you are or he will freak out." More like, I'm worried about you.  
"Lie to him," he suggested smoothly.  
"_Carlisle_."  
"I am actually going to France. Just not to work."  
"To do what?"  
"…Well…I used to be a nomad, so I guess…" He didn't want to tell me, that much was obvious.  
I shook my head at him. "I don't buy it."  
"I'm going to be with Alistair for a few months, and then I don't know what I'm doing. Alistair is in France. Happy?"  
"Yes." I hugged him tighter, resting my head on his shoulder. "You know…you could always stay here. Garrett misses you terribly when you go. I'm sure Tanya wouldn't mind-"  
"I've already had this exact conversation with Tanya and Eleazar. I'm staying here for a week to go to school with him," he gestured to Garrett. "And then I'm going to Alistair."  
"You're scared," I accused after watching him fidget for a minute.  
He glanced up and met my eyes before looking away again.  
"Of what? Alistair? Or the children?"  
I didn't think he was going to answer, but he did, eventually. "…The other covens, mostly. They're going to hate me for abandoning my coven and I just- I don't want to face her- them yet." He corrected himself quickly but sighed softly when he realised I would ask him.  
"Her?"  
"…Siobhan…She's one of my closest friends, but she's so family orientated. She's going to murder me. I haven't told her yet…"  
I offered no condolence; her temper was as bad as mine, if not worse, and we both knew that she would tell him exactly what she thought, certainly not sparing his feelings in the process. I had no time to think of a reply before Garrett as between us, blatantly demanding that he be part of the hug. Both of us laughed but Carlisle picked him up before I could, cuddling him playfully.  
"Jealous, are we?" he teased, provoking a giggle on Garrett's behalf.  
"My Katie," he protested, unable to breathe properly in his fits of laughter.  
"Of course she's your Katie," he laughed, picking up the blanket and wrapping his around him. "Come, do you want dinner? I'm pretty sure Carmen is almost finished cooking."  
"Yes!" he twisted out of his arms and ran down the stairs, leaving us staring after him.

**This one didn't have much to do with Garrett, I don't think, but the next one will!**


	13. Chapter 13

Carlisle was right. Although he was nervous, Garrett was okay as long as someone came with him to preschool.  
"Do I need to make you a lunch too, Carlisle?" I teased, calling into the longue where he was lying on the floor with my little one.  
He laughed and rolled his eyes, his attention diverted as Garrett "won" the board game.  
I chuckled and went back to the task, placing it in his bag once it was done.  
"Go and say goodbye to Katie, Garrett," Carlisle whispered to him, directing him toward the kitchen.  
He rushed in and threw his arms around my legs. "Bye Katie. I love you."  
I giggled and picked him up, kissing his cheek. "I love you too, sweetie. Have a good day." This had been the fourth day that he had gone with no tears or arguments. The fourth day with Carlisle. "Where's my hug?" I called after them, still teasing Carlisle but Garrett looked confused anyway. To my immense surprise, Carlisle did come back and hug me, although very briefly and semi-uncomfortably. Enough for me to know he was mocking me as well. Dork. He was almost as adorable as Garrett sometimes.

Only an hour after they'd left, I heard his car in the driveway again. I smiled to myself. _Had my Garrett been brave enough to stay by himself_?  
Seconds later Carlisle came in holding Garrett, who was leaning on him half asleep.  
"Is everything okay?" I asked, reaching for him.  
He frowned slightly. "I don't think he's feeling well. He's really tired and I think he's got a head ache but I'm not sure; he won't talk much."  
I hugged him against me, resting my chin on the top of his head. "What's that matter, love? Are you okay?" I worried; he was never quiet around Carlisle.  
He nuzzled closer into me, sucking on his sleeve. "…Tired…"  
If I put him to bed now, he would be terrible at night; I'd made that mistake before. I took him into the longue and put him on the floor, hoping him might go and play. Instead, he crawled straight back to me and reached to be picked up. When I didn't immediately respond he whimpered softly, struggling against tears. "Okay, okay. Come here." I lifted him and sat him on the couch next to me. He curled up against my legs, resting his head on my lap while I ran my fingers through his hair. "I think he has a bit of a temperature," I murmured, glancing up at Carlisle.  
He just nodded, sitting opposite us. He looked tired too, or maybe stressed, I wasn't sure.  
Garrett squirmed a little and when I glanced down at him his face was hot and flushed, and he really did look exhausted. "Bed, Katie…" he pleaded softly.  
"Alright, sweetheart," I agreed. When I scooped him up he was completely relaxed, hard to hold because he was so floppy. "How often do little kids get sick?" I asked Carlisle as I started to climb the stairs.  
He shrugged and watched Garrett with worry. "I think his immune system was damaged by whatever that vampire gave him…maybe he has to build it back up again?" he suggested.  
I nodded and took him to bed, tucking him in and sitting next to him. He seemed so little and vulnerable in the big bed and part of me longed to be able to keep him in a bubble so he would always be safe. I ran my hand up and down his back, comforting me with the small touch as much as I was him.

It had only been thirty minutes when I noticed him fidgeting, restless even though unconscious. Worried that he was having a nightmare, I gently woke him up.  
"What's the matter?" I asked softly, brushing his hair off his face to hold my hand against his forehead.  
He let out a small sob, his fingers immediately in his mouth, and looked up at me. The tears overflowed and ran down his cheeks.  
"It's okay, it's just me," I soothed, pulling him into my lap. He was warmer now, his temperature rising. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"  
"…my body has a headache…" he mumbled, attempting to climb up me so he could be closer to me.  
I chuckled and wrapped my arm around him, supporting his weight. "Alright, love. Shall we get you something to eat?"  
He shook his head, holding onto my shirt.  
"It's lunch time, honey, you need to."  
"…not hungry…"  
"At least a drink then," I insisted, taking him down and setting him on the bench. I gave him a glass of juice.  
He dropped it suddenly and it tumbled to the floor. I caught it just before it smashed, smiling at how childish his mannerisms were becoming. Along with his memory, he was slowly getting worse. Soon I feared he would be exactly like every other two year old.  
"Sorry Katie…" he whispered, glancing down.  
"It's okay, I wasn't thinking. I should have given you a bottle, huh?"  
He smiled shyly as I tipped it into a drink bottle, giving him that instead.  
"You're doing well, honey," I assured him, kissing the top of his head. "Not matter what happens we'll get you through this."  
"…love you…" he mumbled.  
"I love you too. We all do." I hugged him where he was sitting. "Do you want to play for a while, love?"  
He nodded hesitantly so I put him on the floor, giving him the bottle again.  
"Make sure you drink," I called after him as he wandered out of the room. He had nowhere near the amount of enthusiasm he had this morning.  
I almost hit the roof when Carlisle spoke from behind me. "Did he tell you what was wrong?"  
I smiled, remembering. "He said his body had a headache. I love him; he's adorable."  
"Maybe he's getting the flu or something," he suggested, frowning.  
"I hope not; it's not even winter yet."  
"Hmm."

"Katie…" Garrett whimpered from the doorway.  
I had been lying on our bed reading, but glanced up at him when he spoke. "What's wrong, sweetie? Come here."  
He started to cry, running toward me but stumbling because he was blinded by tears.  
"Shh, it's okay. What happened?" I kissed the side of his face, hugging him gently.  
He fidgeted and squirmed, tugging at his clothing. "Make it stop," he begged me tearfully.  
"Make what stop? Garrett, what's wrong?"  
He was crying again, still pulling at his shirt and becoming more and more upset.  
Wondering if he was allergic to the fabric, I pulled it over his head, freeing him of it. Immediately I could see what was wrong. "Oh, baby. Come here." I cuddled him again, trying to get him to calm down.  
Still he clawed at himself, leaving red scratched across his skin.  
I held both of his hands in one of mine. "Try not to do that, honey. I know it's hard."  
"Kate!" he whined, trying to make me let go.  
"You've got chickenpox, sweetie, I'm sorry."  
"I don't want to," he cried desperately. "Make it stop!"  
"Shh, it's alright. It's not forever," I assured him. "Do you want to try having a bath and see if that helps?"  
He nodded, trying to wipe his face.  
I took him to the bathroom, running a cool bath. Once I had undressed him, I could see that the rash was literally all over him, already starting to creep onto his face. "My poor baby," I murmured as I lifted him into the water.  
He seemed calmer almost immediately; the temperature soothing whatever itch was there before. It would help to lower his fever as well.  
I helped him lie back, supporting his head above the water while I ran it through his hair.  
He was almost asleep, going limp in my arms. I let him stay there until I risked him getting too cold, before lifting him out, gently patting him dry. Even standing he was still only partially conscious. He struggled to comply with me as I dress him.  
I took his hand, starting to lead him back into the bedroom.  
He let out a soft whimper, not wanting to follow me. "Katie…"  
"Come on, love. Let's get you lying down," I encouraged.  
"…Hurts…"  
"What does?" I knelt in front of him, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes.  
"Everything," he cried, falling into my embrace.  
"Your body still had a headache, huh?" I chuckled, kissing his forehead.  
He nodded, burying his face in my shirt.  
I lay on the bed with him, cradling him against me in hope to keep him cool.

"Kate, I think I know what's wrong with Garrett. We got a letter from the school, they have an outbreak of-" Carlisle stopped talking when he got to our doorway and saw my little one. "Oh shit."  
"Chickenpox," I stated the obvious.  
"How's he doing?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.  
"Okay, I guess. He was a little upset because he's so uncomfortable, but I gave him a bath and he settled down a bit." I stilled his hands when he started to scratch again. "It's not life threatening in children or anything, right?"  
Carlisle chuckled, shaking his head at me. "Nope. He's lucky he's got it now; it sucks as an adult. He'll be fine, just not very happy for a few days."  
I sighed in relief.

Even though he hadn't eaten lunch or dinner the day before, I still had problems feeding him the next morning. "Come on, honey, you have to eat something," I grumbled. He refused to feed himself so now I was physically trying to get him to eat, armed with a spoon and cereal.  
He shook his head, his lips tightly closed.  
"Garrett, for the love of god-"  
"It can go inside of his mouth, cant it?" Eleazar asked from the door, interrupting my rage.  
"What can?" I snapped, annoyed now.  
"The rash. I had younger brothers and sisters; when they got it, the blisters went on the inside of their mouths and tongues. It stings."  
I suddenly felt bad. "Can you open your mouth for me, sweetie?"  
He hesitantly did, and sure enough, Eleazar was right.  
"I'm sorry, love. Why didn't you tell me it was hurting?" I chided gently. "I'll find you something soft to eat, don't worry."  
"Carlisle," he whispered, almost crying.  
I glanced behind me before realising it was a question. "Carlisle," I called.  
It took him a few minutes to appear but when he did he immediately picked up Garrett, almost as if it was second nature to him. "What?" he asked me, resting his cheek on the top of Garrett's head.  
I restrained from rolling my eyes. "He wanted you."  
He laughed softly. "I wanted him too, but I didn't want to take him from you."  
"Oh please. He'd happily ditch me. I'm always the one that tells him off."  
"That's just because you're highly strung," he teased, his arms tightening a little around his waist.  
"What am I going to do with him when you leave?" I sighed. "He's going to be devastated."  
Carlisle looked sad and I regretted saying anything. "…He coped before…"  
"Only because he could talk to you every day and we could tell him where you were every time he asked. Now we're not going to know. And he didn't cope. He cried every time someone said your name."  
"I still have two days. I'll figure something out." He hugged him again before setting him back at the table. "But now you need to eat something."  
Garrett shook his head, reaching for him to hold him again.  
"Just a little bit, okay? It might help you feel better," he coaxed, taking the bowl I had prepared from me. "Come on, Garrett, please?"  
Hesitantly he let himself be fed, managing to swallow about half of it before shaking his head again. This time Carlisle gave in, picking him up to cuddle him again.  
"It's amazing he's so clingy. He was a nomad before," I laughed, seeing how happy Garrett was to be continuously held by someone.  
"It's different. Of course he's going to love his mother," he teased me.  
I narrowed my eyes at his mocking smile, biting back my own laughter. Two could play at that game.  
"Are you going to have to pay child support now, Carlisle, since you and Kate aren't married?" Eleazar chuckled, beating me to it.  
In the other room I heard Carmen and Tanya snicker and I was unable to resist my own giggle.  
"Do I get him every second weekend?" he asked smoothly.  
"Most defiantly not," I quipped, taking Garrett from his arms.  
He whined in protest, bordering on tears and reaching for Carlisle again.  
"He loves you more," I grumbled light-heartedly.  
Before he could retort, Garrett sobbed softly, trying to pull himself closer to him.  
"It's okay, you're okay," he assured him, giving him a little squeeze. "Shall we get you some panadol, buddy?"  
He nodded timidly, swallowing what he was handed.  
"Bed time?" Carlisle asked him softly.  
"Cuddle time," Garrett mumbled against him, hugging him tightly.  
I sighed and went into the other room, absolutely dreading Carlisle's departure. 


	14. Chapter 14

"Don't go- you cant go!" Garrett shrieked, clinging to Carlisle's hand as he tried to say goodbye. From the performance he'd put on you would have thought he was going to die.  
"Garrett-" he started, but he cut him off.  
"Y-you cant go," he pleaded desperately. "Please please please stay…"  
He crouched down in front of him, hugging him. "I have to, Garrett. I'm sorry," he told him softly.  
"No!" Garrett threw his arms around his neck, burying his face in his shoulder. "No- please Carlisle- don't leave!" He could barely speak and was sobbing violently, his whole body shaking. His face was red and tears streaked. The fact he still wasn't feeling well didn't help things; lately the smallest thing had reduced him to tears but this had pushed him way over the edge.  
Carlisle picked him up, gently rubbing his back. "Take some deep breaths, okay? I don't want you to make yourself sick."  
He didn't even attempt to do as he'd been told, begging him over and over again not to leave.  
"I'm sorry, Garrett," he murmured again. For a moment I wondered if Carlisle might cry as well, but he forced a smile and slid him into my arms. "I have to go now, my friend," he told him, pushing his hair off his face. "I love you."  
Garrett was crying and crying, unable to breathe because he was sobbing so hard. I had to physically restrain him from running back to Carlisle again, so he had wrapped himself around my arm, sort of hanging off me.  
"It's okay, sweetie, you'll see him again soon enough," I tried to comfort him but he wouldn't have it, shaking his head instead. "Shh, come on, love, you really are going to-" I stopped talking when he threw up onto the ground, coughing as he tried to breathe at the same time. "Come inside, Garrett, you need to get a grip." I picked him up and carried him into the longue, but the minute I let him go he ran straight to the window, standing on tiptoes to try and see where Carlisle had gone. I sighed and went to kneel beside him, gently rubbing his back. "He's not gone forever, honey," I murmured.  
At the sound of my voice he gave in, turning to me and clinging to my shirt, wanting me to hug him.  
I lifted him to me, squeezing him as hard as I could without hurting him. "It's okay, Garrett. You'll be okay."  
He hid his face in my neck, his wails reducing to soft whimpers as exhaustion took over. Within a few minutes he was asleep in my arms, still holding onto me. It was only lunch time, but I took him to bed anyway; he was still sick and so stressed a little sleep wouldn't hurt.

When he woke up again two hours later, he was very subdued, even declining Eleazar's offer to take him into the forest to play and just staying close to me. He only ate a little of his afternoon tea, but I didn't push him, thinking I was lucky he ate anything at all. Most of the time, he just watched out the window, like he hoped he could will Carlisle to come back.

"Kate," Carmen called from the longue. There was an edge of panic in her voice and I hurried to find them. Garrett was crying again and she had pulled him onto her knee.  
"What?" I asked, sitting beside them on the couch. He immediately crawled across to get onto my lap, grabbing my hand and holding onto it with both of his when I tried to brush his hair out of his eyes. "Did Carmen give you cuddle? That was nice of her, wasn't it?" I tried and failed to distract him but he just continued to sob.  
"Kate I think he's having problems breathing," she told me quickly. "I can't get him to calm down and he keeps coughing."  
I frowned, moving him so I could see him better. "Garrett, love, I need you to take some deep breathes, okay? Can you do that for me?"  
He just cried, his sobs sort of choking him.  
"Come on, sweetie, breathe with me, alright? Follow me?" As I breathed in and out slowly he struggled to copy me, but he did eventually manage it. "You're okay, baby." I hugged him again. "That's better."  
"Katie…" he sniffed, nuzzling into me.  
"Yes? What's wrong? Are you not feeling well again?" I ran my fingers through his hair, struggling to keep him calm but wondering if it was the chickenpox upsetting him rather than Carlisle.  
"D-don't leave- don't leave me, Katie," he cried softly, his arms tightening around my neck.  
"Aww, sweetheart, I'm not leaving you, Garrett, I promise." I kissed the top of his head. "I'm not going anywhere, love. And Carlisle needed a break, I think. He'll come back."  
"I miss him…"  
I glanced at the clock. Carlisle had literally been gone five hours. "I know you do. How about you come and have dinner, hmm?"  
"Not hungry…" he protested, shaking his head.  
"You have to eat. Garrett, you are going to eat, alright?" I took him into the kitchen and sat him at the table, placing the plate a plate of food in front of him.  
"No." He shook his head again, pushing it away. "Not hungry."  
"Garrett," I sighed, sitting in front of him. "I know you miss Carlisle, honey, but you cant starve yourself. You haven't eaten much in almost two days. Please, please just have something."  
Tearfully, he ate most of it, not looking up at me until he was full.  
"Good boy, love. You did well." I kissed his forehead, picking him up to cuddle him again. "Do you want to play or watch TV or something?" I asked, rubbing his back.  
He hesitated before nodding, wriggling to go back on the floor. Once I put him down he disappeared out the door and into the longue.  
I headed upstairs to read, relieved that he seemed to be okay for now.

"Kate…" he mumbled tiredly, crawling up from the foot of the bed to lie at my side.  
"What's up, honey?" I pulled him closer, wrapping my arm around him.  
"I'm sleepy…" He yawned as he spoke, trying to smother it.  
I chuckled. "Okay, sweetie. I'll tuck you in." I sat up and pulled the blankets over him, smoothing them down so he wouldn't get cold. I leant forward and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."  
He fidgeted nervously, looking up at me with wide eyes, smothering a whimper.  
"What's wrong?"  
"…Can you leave the light on..?" he asked shyly.  
I switched the lamp on low before kissing him again. He wasn't usually scared of the dark but he seemed exceptionally anxious. "Are you nervous, little one?" As he nodded I realised what was wrong; Carlisle usually put him to bed. My poor baby, I could see he was fretting. "Goodnight, love."  
He pulled the blankets up, hiding his face a little.

That night was the worst night he'd ever had. He woke up every hour crying from nightmares or for Carlisle.  
At two AM he called for me again, sobbing hysterically. I ran up to him, kneeling on the floor beside him. "Shh, shh Garrett, it's okay. It's okay, baby."  
"S-scared…" He was shaking terribly and his face was hot. His breaths caught in his throat as he reached for me.  
I hugged him, letting him pull himself closer. "Do you want to get up until you calm down?"  
He nodded, trying to untangle himself from the blankets but he was clumsy with sleep.  
I unwrapped him. As I lifted him out, I noticed he was all wet. "Garrett, sweetie, did you have an accident?" I asked gently, setting him on the floor and pushing his now messy hair off his face.  
He glanced down and then blushed a brilliant red. "I-I'm sorry Katie," he sniffed, ducking his head to hide his face from me, his tears dripping onto the carpet.  
"It's okay, honey, it's not your fault." I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly, rubbing his back. "Let's get you changed, alright?"  
He nodded, still incredibly embarrassed and not looking at me.  
By the time I had gotten him dressed in dry clothing, he was crying again, begging for Carlisle.  
I took his hand and led him back to our room, making him sit in the chair in the corner. I couldn't say no to him anymore; he was absolutely exhausted but wouldn't calm down, missing his friend too much. "Do you want to call him, sweetheart?" I asked, pulling my phone out of my pocket and finding his number.  
He nodded desperately, reaching for it.  
"Okay, hang on." I waited for him to answer. "Carlisle, it's Kate," I told him, too quietly for Garrett to hear me. "I'm sorry for doing this, but he won't stop crying. Can you just, I don't know, just say hello to him or something?"  
"Of course I can. Is he okay?" he asked quickly.  
I glanced over at my little one. "Well…he's two and missing the person he loves most, so you tell me."  
"I'm sorry, Kate," he said softly. "I'm sorry for doing this to him. And to you."  
"No! Don't be sorry! I didn't mean to guilt trip you, Carlisle. I just need him to go back to sleep and quite frankly I couldn't think of another way to calm him. Here," I handed the phone to Garrett and immediately he was smiling, although still in tears. While he spoke to him, I stripped the bed, before putting clean blankets on. I waited about a quarter of an hour before freeing Carlisle from him. "Say goodnight, Garrett, we have to let Carlisle go."  
"No- no Katie- I don't want to- I miss him-" he cried, choking on his sobs.  
Carlisle murmured something comforting to him but he only cried harder.  
I took the phone off him, realising it had made it worse. "Carlisle, I'm sorry. I'll take to you later, okay?"  
"That's fine. Good luck," he tried to tease me but sounded too worried to pull it off.  
I laughed anyway. "Thanks. Have a good night." Part of me was unwilling to let him go and I realised I wanted to talk to him almost as much as Garrett, but the relentless wailing from the two year old in the corner told me I had to. We said our goodbyes and hung up. "Garrett, shh, it's okay. Come on, baby."  
As I started to go to him, he threw up again, which only made him cry harder.

Something told me this was going to be a long night.


	15. Chapter 15

**Ishipthem1**** this is for you (: But I warn you now, the pot will be stirred. And just for you, I brought Carlisle back. He wasn't supposed to return until later, but never mind.**

Garrett moped for days, hardly eating anything and doing nothing except watching and waiting. He barely slept at night, suffering from nightmares and waking up crying hourly. Nothing seemed to be able to cheer him up, and all I could do was pray that he'd stop fretting.  
To make it worse, Carlisle's phone always went straight to voice mail, meaning it was either turned off, flat or wrecked. I refused to believe he was ignoring us, but it did little good. It meant we had no way of knowing where he was, I couldn't ask him for help, and Garrett couldn't talk to him at all. I couldn't stop myself for being at least a little mad at him for letting this happen. He _knew_ how much Garrett needed him.

After about a week I knew the stress was getting too much for Garrett. He was exhausted but couldn't sleep, cried continually, had a multitude of accidents to the point where it didn't embarrass him anymore, and he wouldn't eat. It terrified me, but we still couldn't get hold of Carlisle and it was obvious Carlisle was the only way to fix it.

Apparently word about what had happened to Garrett was getting around. One morning Siobhan and Maggie turned up on our doorstep, already knowing the full extent of what had happened. The plan was for them to stay with us for a while, until whatever was going on between Siobhan and Liam had settled.  
Garrett peeked out at them from behind my leg, but the disappointment that it wasn't Carlisle was obvious on his face and I could see tears threatening.  
"Can I see him?" Siobhan asked me carefully. When I nodded she crouched down on the floor, smiling at him. "Can I have a cuddle, little one?"  
He glanced up at me in question, hesitating.  
"Say hello, Garrett," I encourage, pushing him forward a little.  
He looked at the floor before stumbling toward her, tripping and falling at the last minute.  
She caught him before he hit the ground, hugging him gently when he yelped in fright. "I've got you, it's okay, Garrett," she chuckled.  
He held onto her, trying to catch his balance again.  
"Better?" she asked, starting to let him go.  
His grip on her tightened and he shook his head. "It's all spinny," he told her tearfully.  
"Are you dizzy?" she asked, sitting on the floor where she was and settling him on her knee.  
He nodded, the tears overflowing and his sleeve finding it's way into his mouth.  
I froze when he started to cry, worrying how she would react, but Siobhan just hugged him again.  
"Do you feel sick?" she continued, rubbing his back.  
"…M-miss Carlisle…" he sniffed.  
"Poor baby," she soothed. "How about we call him, hmm?" She reached for her phone.  
"He's not answering," I sighed. "We've been having this battle all week."  
"Well, we'll ring Esme or Alice or something."  
"He isn't with them. He and Esme broke up," I told her without realising I shouldn't have.  
"What…he didn't…" she faltered, before looking as though she'd been slapped. "He didn't tell me that," she sighed. "I'm sorry you miss him, Garrett."  
"He's got the chicken pox too," I murmured.  
"You really are in the wars, aren't you?" she chuckled, resting her cheek on the top of his head. "Is that why he is dizzy?" She looked up at me, concern reflecting on her face.  
"No…that's new," I frowned, running my hand through my hair.  
"Kate, he hasn't really eaten or had anything to drink for quite a while," Carmen said quietly. "That could be why…"  
I nodded. "Come on, Garrett. You're making yourself sick." I took him off her and practically dragged him into the kitchen, forcing him to sit at the table. He watched me with wide eyes while I made breakfast. "Eat." I put it in front of him.  
He shook his head, sliding his arms around his stomach. "No, Katie," he whispered.  
"You have to! You're hurting yourself!" I growled, losing my patience and hitting the table with my hand, making everything rattle.  
He started to sob at my outburst, jumping down from the chair and running out of the room.  
"_Garrett_," I snapped, storming after him.  
"Go away!" he yelled at me, slamming the bedroom door in my face.  
"GARRETT! YOU OPEN THIS RIGHT NOW!" I banged on it loudly, shouting at him through it. I could have opened it, but that wasn't the point.  
"NO!" he screamed back, crying hysterically.  
"YOU WILL DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!" I swung it open, marching in stand in front of him.  
He was sitting on the floor beside the bed, hugging his legs. His face was hot and red and I didn't doubt that if he carried on this way he would throw up again. "Leave me alone, Katie," he cried.  
I glared at him and he shrunk back. "We're all trying to help you, Garrett, but you never bloody listen! Just do as you're told! Why cant you just be good?!" I raged, my frustration bursting through as I paced backwards and forwards. "Why cant you just listen to me?! I don't understand what you want!" I stopped directly in front of him, glaring down at him.  
"CARLISLE! I WANT CARLISLE! YOU'RE NOT CARLISLE!" he shrieked at me, crawling under the bed to hide.  
"Get. Out. Here. Now," I demanded in a hiss.  
"I want Carlisle," he repeated in a whisper, his voice trembling.  
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT, GARRETT?! I CANT MAKE HIM COME BACK! IF HE WANTED TO BE WITH YOU HE WOULD HAVE STAYED! GET THE FUCK OVER IT!" I reached under the bed and grabbed him, dragging him out.  
"Carlisle-"  
"IS GONE!" I screamed.  
"But-"  
"GO TO YOUR ROOM!"  
"No!" he sobbed. "Kate-"  
In a fit of jealously and anger my hand connected with the side of his face, leaving a red welt.  
He fell silent, wincing as he gingerly touched his cheek. "K-Katie…"  
"Go to your room," I told him flatly.  
He tried to run from me but his legs shook so much he fell again, crying out as he hit the carpet.  
I growled lowly and moved to jerk him to his feet.  
The minute I touched him he screamed, crying and wriggling away.  
"Garrett, shh, it's okay, baby," Siobhan was there suddenly, picking him up to hug him.  
He held onto her with one hand, the other in his mouth distorting his cries.  
Something inside of me broke and I realised what I'd done. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Garrett," I cried, reaching for him and being stung by his rejection as he shrunk into Siobhan. "Sweetie-"  
"Leave him. You've done enough," she told me sharply, turning away to shelter him from me.  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare him," I pleaded, holding back my own sobs.  
"You did more than scare him," she snapped. "Come on, little one, it's okay…" She took him away, murmuring comforting things to him while he cried and cried.

When I came downstairs again, Siobhan was sitting with Garrett on the couch, holding an icepack to the side of his face.  
He trembled when he saw me, his crying increasing.  
I knelt in front of him, taking his hand. "Garrett, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just, I lost control…I'm so sorry…" I kissed the back of his hand but he jerked it back. "Garrett…"  
"Kate, I think it's best if you just leave him be right now," she reasoned. "Give him time to settle. You really scared him."  
I glanced up at her, our eyes locking. "I cant do this, Siobhan…I'm no mother…I cant look after him properly…I mean, I lost control then but it could have been so much worse…I could have killed him…"  
"We'll sort it out. Just leave him for now."  
I nodded and hurried back to my room, hiding my face under my pillow to smother the sounds of my sobs.

Two weeks later things weren't getting any better. He begged for Carlisle more, had frequent nightmares, and wet the bed every night. He was losing weight quickly, constantly making himself sick from crying so hard, and he was always pale and cold. I seemed to be forgiven by him, but I could not forgive myself.  
Salvation came in the form of Alistair bursting in the door late one night. It was after midnight but Garrett was still up, crying and clinging to me, yelping and shrinking back as the door swung open and let the rain in.  
Tanya recovered from her shock first. "Would you like to, ah, get dry, or something?" she asked politely.  
He shook his head, offering a hard smile which didn't reach his eyes. "I want you to fix him." He sort of pulled Carlisle in the door, frowning when he fell on his hands and knees as he let him go.  
"Carlisle! Are you okay? What happened?" she knelt in front of the former coven leader, pushing his wet hair off his face. "God, you're freezing." She hugged him, successfully soaking her own clothing as well.  
"He's starving," Alistair muttered, folding his arms. I knew he was uncomfortable with the amount of people in the room.  
As he spoke I noticed Carlisle's eyes were completely black, and then remembered he hadn't hunted at all when he had been staying with us.  
"Carlisle!" Garrett squealed, rushing over to hug him tightly. "I missed you! Never leave again!" he was giggling and jumping around excitedly, but Carlisle just looked tired.  
"I missed you too, Garrett," he mumbled, sitting up and pushing him back slightly. "Come on, I'll make you wet and cold. Go back to Katie."  
"It doesn't matter, _Carlie_," I grumbled, trying not to smile. "I can just change his clothes."  
Alistair narrowed his eyes. "What is this?" he demanded of Carlisle. "You do not tell me that they keep an immortal child and trap me in with them?"  
"No, Alistair. Calm down," Carlisle mumbled. "He got…poisoned, or something, I don't know…It's Garrett, Alistair. _Garrett_. You friend."  
He sighed and offered his hand for Carlisle to pull himself up on. "Fine. Now just eat, okay? I don't know what's wrong with you, but please, go hunting."  
I almost laughed at how alike Alistair's plea was to mine when I was trying to feed Garrett.  
Carlisle mumbled consent, shakily climbing to his feet.  
Alistair had to steady him to stop him from falling again. "Someone has to take him to hunt. I can't do it," he muttered.  
"I'll go with him," Siobhan offered, appearing in the longue to see what the commotion was about.  
At first Carlisle smiled, but within seconds it fell and he was fumbling for excuses to refuse her and he paled a little. "I…I-I'm fine-I'll be fine by myself- thank you- I mean-"  
She laughed. "That proves my point. Come, you've always wanted me to try this diet of yours."  
He ducked his head, looking at his feet, before nodding hesitantly.  
She walked past him out the door.  
"We're going now?" he asked, confusion and then panic flashing across his face.  
"Yes. Before you pass out." She grabbed the back of his jacket, jerking him backwards and out the door.  
I looked down at Garrett, who'd frozen in place after Carlisle was stolen from him. His breaths started to catch and a few tears rolled down his face.  
"No…no, don't cry," Alistair said awkwardly, taking a step back from him. "Garrett…no."  
I chuckled under my breath but didn't come to his rescue, testing what Garrett would do in the presence of another stranger without me interfering.  
The tears turned into quiet sobs and he desperately tried to wipe his face.  
"Don't…." Alistair begged. "Carlisle…"  
His name set him off, crying hysterically again.  
"Shush, Garrett stop. Garrett…" he tried to reason. "Come on, don't do this to me…" When he didn't heed him Alistair surrendered, cautiously picking him up but holding him at arm's length. "Stop crying," he instructed.  
"He's two, Alistair. You have to cuddle him if you want him to stop," Eleazar snickered, watching the discomfort on his face as I was.  
"Cuddle…him…" he repeated distastefully.  
"You know, like hug him."  
"But he's crying," he said sceptically.  
"Hug him."  
He frowned, holding him closer before giving in and letting Garrett lean on him while he wrapped his arms around him.  
"Carlisle," Garrett whimpered, clinging to him anyway.  
"No…Alistair," he corrected. "Don't you worry; I'm giving you to Carlisle the minute he gets back in that door."  
"Alistair," he repeated, like the name was vaguely familiar to him.  
"Yep." He looked at him. "He stopped. Can I put him down now?"  
"Not until Cullen comes back," I laughed.  
"Ugh. Let me guess, Carlisle is as attached to the child as the child is to him, and that's why he stopped hunting?"  
"I'm sure he doesn't cry until he vomits every time they're separated," I teased him.  
"Not far from it," he grumbled. "All I got over the last few weeks was 'is Garrett okay?' 'Do you think Garrett is going to be alright?' 'when are we going back to Denali?' 'do you think we can fix him?'" he mocked Carlisle's accent, making everyone laugh. "To make it worse, _he never even told me what the hell was wrong with Garrett_. He wouldn't shut up about it and he wouldn't hunt so I brought him here thinking maybe Garrett would fix him." He looked down at my little one, biting back a grimace. "But apparently not. All you do is leak tears and snot, right?"  
"Pretty much," I giggled. "But he's also cute as hell and adorably cuddly."  
"I'm still giving him to Carlisle," he muttered.

We waited almost an hour for Carlisle and Siobhan to come back, and once they had I realised it was pointless changing Garrett's clothes because he immediately hugged Carlisle who was soaked to the skin.  
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he chuckled, picking him up and hugging him tightly. "Sorry, Kate, I'll warm him up again," he told me apologetically.  
"It's fine," I smiled, seeing how happy they both were.  
"Oh my god I missed you so much. I love you," he continued. "But I'm going to make you cold. We need to get you dry and in bed."  
"Will you tuck me in?" Garrett asked shyly.  
"Of course I will." They were both smiling now.  
"Come here, Garrett. Let Carlisle get dry as well or you'll both end up with a cold." I took Garrett from his arms and brought him upstairs, changing his clothes before putting him in bed. "Carlisle will come see you in a minute, okay?" I assured him.  
He nodded eagerly but seemed happy enough to be going to sleep. 


	16. Chapter 16

**How did my stirring go this time?**

The next morning Garrett was happier than he'd been in a long time. He ran downstairs before I could get him out of his pyjamas and jumped on Carlisle, hugging him before settling on his lap.  
Alistair watched from a distance, struggling to hide a small smile, but refused to come any closer. Frankly, I was surprised he had stayed overnight.  
"He is cute with the child," Siobhan whispered to me, watching Carlisle's face. Her smile was hidden too, but not quite as carefully.  
"Where are your clothes, Garrett?" Carlisle asked, oblivious to the rest of us staring at him.  
"I don't need any," he told him confidently.  
"I beg to differ," Alistair grumbled, rolling his eyes.  
Carlisle just laughed. "Are you feeling better now?"  
He nodded enthusiastically and wiggled onto the floor but I captured him before he could go any further.  
"Come on, you, you need to get dressed," I laughed. I started to turn away, but before I could go any further Carlisle was in front of me. "What?" I chuckled, moving to step around him.  
He blocked me so I couldn't take Garrett up the stairs. "What happened to him?"  
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. I followed his gaze to the fading bruising on the side of Garrett's face. "Oh…I lost my temper and-" I started to explain but he cut me off.  
"You _hit_ him?! What the fuck is wrong with you, Kate!? He's a _human_! You could have killed him!" he exploded at me.  
"Calm down, everything is fine now-"  
"It is not fine. You could have seriously hurt him! He's only little!"  
I just looked at him, not knowing what I was supposed to say. Again I wondered if he might cry, and it seemed to be an internal battle for him not to. "It was an accident, Carlisle," I reasoned.  
"YOU FUCKING HIT HIM ON FUCKING ACCIDENT?!" he shouted at me.  
Garrett flinched but reached toward him as if he was trying to calm him down.  
"We were fighting and-"  
"YOU'RE AN ADULT! HE'S TWO, YOU CANT FIGHT WITH HIM! Kate-"  
"Carlisle, come, let's go for a walk," Alistair butted in, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from me.  
Carlisle followed him numbly, tripping over everything in his path until Alistair took him outside.  
Garrett stared after them, looking confused, and I no longer felt like I should be holding him so I stuck him on the floor. He crawled a few feet over to Carmen, reaching to be picked up and cuddling into her when she obliged.  
"I know what I did was wrong, but I didn't expect him to be so upset with me," I mumbled, still frozen in place.  
Siobhan sighed and ran her hand through her hair, glancing out the window to see where the other two had gone. "Carlisle was abused as a child, Kate," she murmured softly. "I think you just struck a nerve."  
I nodded, trying to process the information. "Garrett, come here, baby, let's get you dressed."  
"No, Katie," he whispered.  
I didn't have the heart for anymore arguing so I just went upstairs.

It was hours before they came back but when they did Carlisle just looked drained. He didn't say anything to me as he slid past me in the kitchen, not looking up from the floor. His mood against me stuck for days and we hardly spoke. Garrett pretty much ignored me too, staying close to him and following him around the house, climbing onto his knee whenever he got the chance.  
"Carlisle where is Garrett? He needs to be in bed," I growled at him one night.  
"I don't know, Kate. Why don't you just hit him again? That seemed to work for you last time," he snapped back.  
"Hey," Siobhan chided quietly. "He's fine, you can stop worrying." She slid her fingers through his and squeezed his hand.  
I just rolled my eyes at him and went in to the other room.  
Surprisingly, it was Alistair Garrett was with. My little one had cuddled up to the nomad and fallen asleep at his side. Alistair was half hugging him, but his expression was uncomfortable.  
"You want him?" he asked awkwardly.  
"It's bed time," I told him, forcing a smile.  
"Okay." He picked him to hand him to me, his arms tightening around him for just a second but long enough for me to see.

"I want to come too!" Garrett yelped, standing between Carlisle and Siobhan.  
Carlisle glanced down at him but she took his attention again, holding his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her.  
"You need to hunt, Carlisle," she persisted softly.  
He still didn't meet her eye, fidgeting nervously. "I don't want to."  
"I want to come!" Garrett repeated, jumping to pull on Carlisle's hand. He was still ignored.  
"Why not? You have to."  
"I went four days ago. I don't need to yet." He swallowed hard  
She chuckled and shook her head at him. "Fine, but tomorrow, okay?"  
He nodded reluctantly but seemed uncomfortable being the focus of her attention.  
"Can I come tomorrow?" Garrett asked, smiling when they both looked at him.  
"I don't think that would be wise, little one," she told him. "But maybe we could take you to the park or something?"  
"Yes!"  
They both laughed and Siobhan picked him up, kissing his forehead before hugging him tightly. "And how are you, feeling better I hope?" she asked him.  
He just giggled, squirming as she tickled him. "Stop! I'll pee my pants!" he whined, laughing hysterically until he struggled to breathe.  
She relented, holding him close to her and messing up his hair. "Don't worry, I won't do that to you."  
Rather than watching Garrett as he usually did, Carlisle watched her. When she glanced up and their eyes met he quickly looked down, his face flushing slightly.  
"You're adorable," she continued. Although she spoke like she was still talking to Garrett, she was smiling at Carlisle.  
He glanced up at her again and shifted uncomfortable once he realised it as well. "K-Kate has he eaten today?" he stammered instead.  
"You could help me make him dinner, Carlisle?" Siobhan suggested.  
"Yes," Garrett interjected.  
"I cant- I don't know how to cook- I mean I'm useless- I don't know- I cant," Carlisle stammered, never actually speaking a whole excuse.  
"He made me pasta," Garrett told her.  
"There we go," she smiled, giving Garrett to him and heading toward the kitchen. "And you are not useless, Carlisle."  
"Traitor," Carlisle accused Garrett lightly the minute she was out of the room. "You just want me to get in trouble, don't you?" he teased.  
Garrett smiled innocently, biting on the end of his sleeve. "But she likes you."  
"Hey!" he whined, before realising that he meant it purely in a friendly way, being too young to understand anything else. "Well…she is my friend, Garrett."  
"And you like her," he continued.  
"Don't you go repeating that," he shushed him. "You may be innocent, but you're trouble." He spun him around so that he was upside-down, provoking hysterical giggles on Garrett's behalf. "Do you want to go to Katie?"  
"No."  
"Oh, come on. She loves you and you've followed me around all day," he teased, hugging him again. I took that as forgiveness.  
"I don't want to…" he grumbled.  
"Why not?" Carlisle was still joking, but Garrett wasn't.  
"Because then you'll leave again and I don't want you to leave, Carlisle!" he yelled at him before bursting into tears and burying his face in his shirt.  
"Shh, I'm sorry, Garrett. I'm not going anywhere buddy." He hugged him, suddenly apologetic.  
"But you went to France and y-you were gone and-" he was sobbing again, clinging to him.  
"I wont leave you again. It's okay." He rubbed his back, resting his cheek on the top of his head.  
"You made it go," Alistair commented as he came down the stairs.  
"Now isn't the time, Alistair," Carlisle grumbled. "It's alright, Garrett. Nobody is leaving you now."  
"You have to take me next time," he cried.  
"Take you where?" he asked gently.  
"To France. You're not allowed to leave…"  
"I think Katie would have something to say about that," he chuckled.  
"I don't care. I want to go with you."  
He looked at him for a minute. "Okay."  
"Okay?" Garrett repeated hopefully.  
"If Katie lets you, I'll take you to France," he promised.  
Garrett squirmed from his arms and ran to stand in front of me. "Can I go with him? Can I go to France?" he begged, jumping about excitedly.  
I hesitated, frowning. _Be apart from Garrett?_  
"I'll be careful, Kate. We can go across on a plane and find a hotel or something-"  
"I trust you, Carlisle. I know you'll take good care of him." I lent down so I was level with Garrett. "Of course you can go, honey."  
He cheered and ran back to Carlisle who scooped him.  
"Food's ready," Siobhan called from the kitchen.  
That resulted in another whoop of enthusiasm.

The next morning Siobhan carried Garrett into my room and sat him on my lap. He was crying softly and sucking on his fingers, wide eyed and afraid.  
"Can you hold of him for a while?" she asked softly but quickly, almost frantic.  
I wrapped my arms around him. "What happened, sweetheart?"  
"Carlisle," he whimpered tearfully.  
"What's he done now?" I asked Siobhan.  
"He's sick. I think. If vampires can get sick. Garrett just got a fright. Just- can you watch him please? I don't want to leave Cullen by himself."  
I nodded, struggling to keep Garrett calm.

Eventually, I managed to get him to sleep, tucking him into bed before going to find the others.  
"What's happening?" I ask Carmen in the hallway.  
She smiled ruefully. "Carlisle isn't feeling well."  
"He can't get sick. He's a vampire," I argued.  
She chuckled lowly. "He defiantly isn't well, that's for sure. Siobhan is right in her element, that's for sure."  
I went downstairs, finding them in the kitchen. "What's going on?" I asked them.  
"Carlisle is sitting down," Siobhan remarked bluntly. She watched him with worry.  
He was leaning against the sink, gasping for breath. He seemed paler than usual and his hair stuck to him.  
"Sit down," she repeated. "Before you fall down."  
"I cant," he told her shakily.  
"Why?"  
In response he gagged, throwing up into the sink, before rinsing out his mouth with water. "This sucks," he tried to joke, but couldn't quite pull it off.  
She sighed and stepped forward to hold her hand against his forehead. "You are too hot."  
"Nurse Siobhan, huh?" he chuckled, trying to hide his embarrassment.  
"Oh be quite and sit down, would you?" she grumbled.  
"I cant, unless Tanya would like vomit all over the floor." Again he struggle not to blush.  
"I'll get a bucket or something. I don't want you to fall. Come." She pulled him backward and pushed him into one of the chairs.  
"I'm fine by myself," he protested.  
'You aren't fine! You're a vampire and you're throwing up! For all we know you'll wake up tomorrow and you'll be a damn child too!"  
"Ugh. Don't even say that," he mumbled, folding his arms on top of the table and resting his head on them.  
"Exactly! You're scaring me!" She hugged him suddenly and I almost felt like I shouldn't be watching.  
"I'll make you sick too," he murmured as an excuse to push her away.  
"Carlisle!" Garrett was back, rushing to him and trying to climb onto his lap.  
"I cant hug you, Garrett. I don't want to give you whatever I've got," he protested weakly.  
Garrett looked almost as concerned as Siobhan as I scooped him up.  
"Come on, love. Let's give Carlisle some peace." I took him upstairs. As I reached the door, I heard Siobhan burst into tears.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry about the language, guys, and the spelling errors…It's 4am. It's been a long night… **

**Also, if I change the POV in the next chapter to someone else instead of Kate, is that going to upset anyone? Because it's going to be difficult to continue the story the way I want to from Kate's POV. I need Siobhan. And how do we feel about vulnerable Carlisle? I don't know why I've always wanted to write him that way, but I've got a request for a separate story based on that…**

"Garrett, stay here," I ordered, putting him in bed and tucking the blankets in so tightly he struggled to move.  
"Katie!" he protested, trying to wiggle out.  
"_Stay. Here._"  
He glared at me, or as much of a glare as a two year old could manage, but did as I had asked.  
"Thank you, good boy. I'll be back soon, okay?" I lent down and kissed his forehead but he tried to twist away, mad at me.  
"Carlisle," was all he said.  
"I know, Garrett," I sighed. "But I need you to stay here and not move for me, alright?"  
He reluctantly nodded, still not pleased.

I rushed back downstairs, pushing past Eleazar in the kitchen doorway. "What happened?" I asked frantically.  
"Nothing. Siobhan is freaking out over nothing," Carlisle told me. He was standing now, hugging her, but didn't look like he should be; he was still to pale.  
"It's not nothing," she protested, hugging him back tightly. I wondered if she was the only thing holding him up. "He fainted-"  
"No, I didn't. I had a momentary lapse in judgement, and gravity is a bitch." He offered me a cautious smile.  
"He did pass out. Sort of. He fell, anyway," Eleazar whispered over my shoulder. "It was only for a few seconds though, I think he might just be tired."  
"You scared the shit out of me," Siobhan whined, not letting him go when he tried to free himself. "Promise not to do that ever again."  
He laughed quietly. "Okay, but only if you promise that the floor will remain the floor, and the ceiling will remain the ceiling at all times."  
"You're a dork," she accused.  
"You love me really," he teased.  
She just rolled her eyes, looking away and finally letting him go.  
He stumbled the minute they weren't touching; proving that he was still dizzy, but this time Eleazar grabbed him.  
"You're going to bed," Carmen's husband told him.  
"I'm a vampire, there isn't any point," he argued, his speech starting to slur a little.  
"The point is not for you to sleep, but for you to be safe," he insisted, pushing him toward the stairs.  
Carlisle hesitated, apparently going to resist him, but was forced to hold onto the banister so he didn't fall. "Where's Alistair?" he asked instead.  
"Here. Bed. Now," the nomad demanded, snatching his arm and jerking him up the stairs.  
"Be careful with him!" Siobhan growled, elbowing Eleazar in the ribs playfully when he smirked at her. "I'm allowed to be worried."  
"Sure." He grinned widely.  
"Shut up." She disappeared up the stairs after the other two and I went back to Garrett.

"Is he okay?" he asked me, his eyes wide with fear. He was sitting up now, having wriggled up and out of the blankets.  
"He's fine, sweetie." I sat next to him, lifting him onto my lap. "Just a little off balance."  
"Off balance?" he repeated curiously.  
"He's okay, Garrett."  
He seemed satisfied with that, at least momentarily, and jumped onto the floor. "Where's Liza?" he asked me.  
I giggled when he forgot to keep his speech in check. "_Eleazar _is in the kitchen, I think."  
He reddened a little but otherwise ignored my comment, running off down the hallway.  
"Are you going to school today, my friend?" he asked him, picking him up as I followed him around the corner.  
"No," he answered simply.  
"No?" Eleazar looked at me.  
"Yes," I clarified.  
Garrett shook his head, biting his sleeve. "No."  
"Come on, Garrett, you had fun when you went with Carlisle," I argued.  
"Because I went with Carlisle," he whined. "I don't want to go, Katie."  
"Carlisle went to preschool with him?" Siobhan asked, grinning.  
"Like three times. Drop it," Carlisle muttered from behind me.  
"You're supposed to be in bed," she growled.  
"I'm taking him to school; I have to be up." He took Garrett from me, starting up the stairs to get him dressed.  
"Oh no you don't. Kate can take him. Or failing that, I'll take him."  
"You don't even know where you're going," he teased, smiling back at her.  
"Well, then I'll drive, and you can sit and give me directions."  
He hesitated, thinking, before giving in. "Fine."  
"And then we're coming home, and you're going to lie down."  
"Are you going to see to it personally?" He was teasing again, but this time it crossed my mind that he was bordering on flirting with her. Worse was that she seemed to be returning it.  
"It seems I will have to." When she smiled at him he faltered for a moment, seeming to forget what he was doing. "You okay?" she asked, seeing this as well.  
"Yes, just- yes." He smiled shyly back. "Come on, Garrett. Clothes."

As much as I hated admitting it, it was a huge relief to have Garrett off my hands and not have to worry about him, even if it was only for a few hours. Apparently it had taken some convincing to get him to stay by himself, but Carlisle and Siobhan had managed it.  
"Are those two…you know..?" Carmen whispered to me, glancing up at the ceiling in gesture to them.  
Alistair snickered softly from the couch. "Nope. Not yet."  
"Not yet?" I laughed.  
"Well, seeming as one just got divorced and the other is still technically married, no, not yet." He rolled his eyes. .  
We were interrupted by Siobhan shrieking Carlisle's name, this time in anger rather than concern.  
"No. We are not talking about this now," Carlisle mumbled, escaping her to come and stand beside me. "Traitor," he whispered jokingly to Alistair, both of them having heard his comment.  
She grabbed his arm, spinning his around to face him. "You explain this to me right now," she hissed.  
"No."  
They glared at each other in silence. I wasn't sure who would back down first; they were both coven leaders, incredibly strong willed, and I wasn't even sure who would win in a fight; they were roughly the same height and it wasn't like sex affected physical strength as a vampire.  
"_You divorced her and didn't tell me?!"_ she screamed at him.  
"It has nothing to do with you!" he snapped. "It was none of your business!"  
"I'm your best friend! It's entirely my business!"  
"Are you?" he asked flatly.  
"What? So you've got some other whore for that too, huh?!"  
"I don't know! You're the one yelling at me for something that _doesn't even involve you_!"  
"Carlisle!" she growled lowly.  
He swallowed. "Go back to Liam!" When his voice shook slightly I knew he would crack first.  
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Although his voice was lower, she was still screaming at him.  
"Go back to your fucking husband! Are you fucking insane?! You have no idea how much it hurts to have someone leave you like that! Me and Esme hadn't loved each other for years but do you know how much it fucking hurt when she broke up with me?! I haven't been able to eat properly since she told me that! You cant fucking do that to Liam- not like that!"  
"So what if it made you sick?! Now I have to clean up after you! You're a mess!"  
"Go away then! I don't want you here!" His breaths caught in his throat and I could see him fighting crying.  
"What?" she hissed, stepping closer to him.  
He didn't answer, either refusing or not able to..  
"You fucking asshole." She made a sharp movement and I wasn't sure what had happened until I saw the hurt expression on Carlisle's face.  
"Hey, woah, stop!" Tanya stepped between them, pushing Carlisle back rather than Siobhan, not wanting to push the enraged Irish woman any further.  
There was a tense silence before he spun around and grabbed his keys off the table.  
"Carlisle you cant drive! You're dizzy! You'll crash!" Siobhan pleaded, her voice soft now.  
"Go fuck yourself!" he yelled at her, slamming the front door in her face.  
Alistair winced, and then stood and followed him.  
She stared at the closed door for a few seconds before bolting out the other, running into the forest.  
"…That was…intense…" Eleazar whispered, trying to break the silence that had gathered over my family.  
I only nodded, not sure how to respond otherwise.

It was almost midnight when Siobhan came back, but the first thing she asked was "where's Carlisle?" Her eyes were wide, afraid.  
I couldn't answer her. I'd even had to lie to Garrett when he'd come home, telling him that Siobhan and Carlisle were hunting together again. He hadn't bought it and refused to go to bed, although Eleazar managed to keep him distracted so he didn't cry too much.  
At one AM my little one was still bouncing around, over-tired and over-excited mow, babbling nonstop. Siobhan paced up and down the hallway.  
At two my phone rang. I sighed in relief and snatched it up. "Carlisle, come home now," I demanded. "You scared us."  
"I'm sorry," he whispered, sounding like he was in tears.  
I walked outside, away from the others, except Garrett who followed, hanging off my clothing in an attempt to get my attention. I reached down and gave him my hand, which he held onto with both of his. "Are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?" I asked softly.  
"No, I'm fine," he told me anyway. "I just…it just surprised me, that's all."  
I almost laughed; only Carlisle could receive a blow from his best friend and call it a surprise.  
"Is she okay?" he asked before I could get a word in.  
"She's fine, Carlisle, just worried about you. Come home, alright?" I frowned. "Garrett misses you already," I added as he whined at my feet.  
"I miss him," he mumbled. I got the sense he didn't mean two year old Garrett.  
"I know. So do I, don't worry. Here," I handed the toddler the phone.  
"Carlisle!" he cried happily. "Can you tuck me in? It's dark and cold…" As he spoke he glanced around him, shrinking back against me. "Katie…" he whimpered, scared. "I don't like it…"  
I picked him up, hugging him tightly, and took him back into the light and warmth of the house.  
"Please, Carlisle? You promised you wouldn't leave again…" he sniffed, trying to wipe away the tears before they started.  
"No- Garrett, don't cry. I'll be there soon, okay? Let Katie put you to bed and I'll be there in ten minutes…"


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay, so. Sorry about taking a while to update, me and my girlfriend just came out to my parents and it was a stressful time for all involved, and said girlfriend can be very distracting ;)  
BUT I've written a few chapters ahead now and I'm going to update every Friday from now on because I get home early from work then, and what better way to celebrate Fridays than with a new chapter. I'm also kind of considering writing some form of gay pairing fanfiction to celebrate my/Kelly's achievement (which nobody here gives a damn about but I'm excited so you can all just shush), but I have absolutely no idea who to pair with who.  
Happy reading (: (I'm so sorry Carlisle…)**

Carlisle spent the entire night on the bed with Garrett, letting my little one cuddle up to him. Garrett insisted on sleeping directly beside him, meaning Carlisle had to wrap him in an assortment of blankets to keep him warm. Although no one said it, we all knew that he was hiding from Siobhan.  
Garrett loved it though; he spent every moment he could clinging to him, and I was surprised Carlisle didn't get a headache from his constant chatter.  
At lunch time, I realised that I could still hear Garrett, which meant that he was still home and _not_ and preschool where he should be. "Dammit Carlisle," I chuckled under my breath. I was in no mood for scolding; the happy atmosphere in the house was too nice. The only thing off was that Carlisle and Siobhan had only exchanged a few words and mumbled apologies, but I assumed things would come right between them eventually. "Guess who's not supposed to be here," I called as I came into the bedroom. I was confronted with blankets strewn across the room from chair to chair, hanging off the bed.  
"Katie!" Garrett giggled, crawling out from under the corner of one. "We made a hut!"  
"Did you now?" I laughed as he tugged my hand.  
"Come see!" he disappeared under them again. "It's like a baby house!"  
I sighed, seeing no way out of it, and got on my hands and knees. Under the blankets everything was bathed in a faint yellow light, and it was quite pretty really. I dragged myself in after him, crawling over and sitting next to Carlisle. "This isn't preschool," I teased.  
"Oh." He smiled shyly. "I guess it isn't."  
I noted with relief that his eyes were light, which meant he'd fed. "You went hunting last night?" I asked.  
He nodded, looking down smiling as Garrett climbed into his lap. "I had to. Or I might have hurt this one." He squeezed him gently.  
"You don't feel sick or anything?" I asked lowly so Garrett wouldn't overhear.  
"Only when I think about…Esme…" he mumbled, the smile falling as he spoke.  
"I'm sorry I brought that up." I squeezed his arm.  
"I want to go hunting too," Garrett stated, standing on his toes so he was level with us.  
We both laughed. "When you're older," Carlisle told him.  
"Will you teach me?"  
"Of course."  
He threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Love you."  
"I love you too, Garrett," he laughed.  
He smiled widely before jumping on me, hugging me as well. "Hungry, Katie…"  
"No 'I love you' then?" I giggled, kissing the top of his head.  
"I love you, Katie," he said obediently.  
"Why do I feel like you're just trying to get food from me?" I teased him.  
"Hungry," he repeated, grinning.  
"Okay, come on then." I picked him up and took him into the kitchen. 

"What is it?" He looked down at the white meat on his plate unimpressed.  
Behind me Carlisle laughed softly, biting back a smile when I turned to look at him.  
"Chicken," I told him, cutting it up.  
His eyes widened. "Like the chickens we saw at the park?" His voice trembled and I internally scolded myself for telling him.  
"The supermarket gets them from a chicken farmer, Garrett, they're not the ones from the park," Carlisle told him quickly, scrambling to cover my blunder before there was tears.  
"Are you actually trying to reason with a toddler?" Siobhan quipped from quietly as she came into the room.  
"You just shush," he chuckled, unable to keep from smiling this time.  
"It's your funeral," she agreed.  
Garrett thought about what he'd been told for a moment, oblivious to their conversation. "Does he grow them?" he asked thoughtfully.  
Carlisle nodded, looking worried about where he was taking this.  
"Like on trees?"  
"Of course," he lied smoothly without missing a beat.  
"You are such a dork," Siobhan giggled, rolling her eyes.  
He glanced back at her but didn't say anything.  
"Eat your tree grown chicken, Garrett," she continued, picking up the fork.  
"Then is it vegetables?" my little one asked, refusing to let her feed him.  
"It's meat. It grows on a meat tree," she continued. "Come on, just try."  
He shook his head, his mouth tightly closed. "What if its poisonous?"  
"Why would you think that, honey?" she laughed. "Just try it."  
"The TV told me and Liza that some stuff is poisonous…"  
"The TV huh?" she smirked. "Okay, that's alright. We'll test it first." She turned the fork to Carlisle.  
He glanced from it to her, confused.  
"We wouldn't want poor little Garrett thinking that chicken is poisonous, would we?" she asked innocently, obviously teasing him.  
I laughed as I watched realisation of what she wanted sink over him, before he obediently opened his mouth, letting her feed it too him.  
"See Garrett? It's fine. Carlisle's still alive," she smiled at him, winking at Carlisle who glared back.  
"Okay." He picked up the fork and ate the rest of it happily.  
"Did you not just finish panicking because I was sick?" Carlisle teased her, lowly so Garrett wouldn't overhear.  
"Yes...But surely for Garrett's safety me having to look after you for a few more hours isn't so bad?" she mocked him back, resting her chin on her hands.  
"I thought you didn't like cleaning up after me?" He smiled like he was still messing around but his voice held a sharp edge.  
"I thought you didn't want me here, but here we are." She narrowed her eyes at him and he looked away.  
"I lied," he mumbled under his breath.  
"What?" her temper dissolved immediately.  
"Nothing." He smiled again, standing and pushing in his chair.  
"Where are you going?" she frowned, looking up at him.  
"Out."  
"Can I come?" Garrett asked excitedly, jumping around in his chair.  
"Of course you can." He picked him up, already starting to pull him into his jumper. Garrett didn't make the job easy, wriggling about.  
"Oh, you are a pain, aren't you?" Siobhan caught his hand, guiding it through his sleeve and then pulling his hair out of the collar.  
The three of them together really did look like a little family, and I couldn't help but giggle at the way Carlisle watched Siobhan while her attention was focused on Garrett. As soon as she glanced up and met his eye he looked down, suddenly shy.  
"Have fun, sweetie," I called out to Garrett. "And Carlisle, he needs to be back by six so he will be in bed on time."  
"Yes, Katie," they answered at the same time.  
"You be good for him," I continued.  
"He's always good," Carlisle murmured, hugging him.  
"Sure," I agreed sarcastically. "Always good for you maybe."  
"Do we really have to come back for bed time?" Garrett asked him in a whisper as he took him out the door.  
He laughed. "We'll see. Katie might kill us if we don't."

The car came back at ten past seven. One hour and ten minutes late.  
"_Carlisle Cullen_," I growled as he came in the door.  
Garrett ran in ahead of him, falling at my feet and hugging my legs, smiling up at me. He was absolutely glowing with joy. "We went to the zoo!" Garrett shrieked happily.  
"Did you now?" I picked him up, kissing his forehead.  
"It was a little bigger than I expected," Carlisle told me in apology. "I'll get him ready for bed, if you like."  
I frowned at the thought of him spending _more _ time with Garrett but couldn't resist teasing him. "Wouldn't you rather get Siobhan really for bed?"  
"What?! Kate!" he yelped, jumping back from me. "Why would- but- No! Stop!" He ran up the stairs to get away from me, while Carmen, Eleazar and I stood there in stitches.  
"Look!" Garrett held a toy in front of my face and I felt the softness of it against my cheek. It wasn't until he held it back that I could actually see what it was. "His name is Oliver."  
Oliver was the world's fluffiest zebra toy, who couldn't have been more than about twenty centimetres tall but contained enough fuzz for at least two _live_ zebra.  
"Soft," he told me, hugging it tightly and burying his face in it's back.  
"It is, isn't it," I chuckled, reaching up to run my fingers through its fur. "Oliver, huh?" I clarified, realising why he had chosen that; _Carlisle's middle name._ I tried not to be jealous.  
He nodded, almost guiltily but firmly. "Oliver."  
"I think Oliver is perfect," Siobhan smiled as she came into the room.  
"Okay, how about we get you fed, Garrett," I suggested, taking him into the kitchen.  
He shook his head in protest. "We already had dinner."  
"When?" I challenged.  
"Carlisle and me and Oliver had dinner at the zoo…" he smiled, somehow seeming more innocent that usual.  
"Bath time then." I took him and his teddy upstairs and into the bathroom. As soon as I put the bear on the counter and out of his reach, he screamed, frantically jumping up to try and grab it. "Garrett, you have to get in the bath. It can't get wet."  
"I don't want a bath!" he shouted at me.  
I sighed, knowing there was no way I could avoid the oncoming tantrum. "I wanted to be your wife, not your mother," I grumbled under my breath as I put in the soap. "Get in the bath, Garrett. Take your clothes off," I growled at him.  
"No!" He was crying now, big, heavy sobs which seemed to choke him.  
"Oh, come on. Why is this such a big deal?! Get in the bath!" I picked him up against his will, sitting him in the water.  
He wouldn't have it; crying and screaming and thrashing about. He slipped the wrong way and accidently submerged himself.  
"Calm down or it will happen again," I scolded sternly as he pulled himself up again.  
Sure enough, every time he struggled he slipped under, surfacing again a few seconds later. The next time he came up, he was coughing and choking.  
"You're going to make yourself sick if you carry on," I warned, frustrated with him.  
He just cried and cried, looking up at me pleadingly.  
"Stand up so I can wash you," I grumbled, setting him on his feet.  
He scrambled to get up, seeming relieved to be mostly out of the water. He flinched back from me as soon as I touched him with the sponge, slipping and falling forward into the water, hitting his head on the edge of the tub as he did so. He went under again.  
"Is he okay?" Carlisle asked softly from the doorway.  
"Fine. Just being a pain in the ass. Do you doubt my parenting skills, Carlisle?" I snapped, pulling Garrett up again.  
He was still screaming, now focusing on Carlisle rather than me.  
"Shh, hey, what's wrong?" He ignored my question, kneeling beside me and letting Garrett hold onto him. Suddenly, he quickly picked him up, ripping the plug out of the bath. "It's okay, it's alright, Garrett." Once the water was gone he flicked the shower onto cold and put him under.  
"What the hell are you doing?" I growled, shouting now.  
"You were burning him!" he yelled back. As he said it I saw the look of relief on Garrett's face as the cold water washed over him, and noticed that his skin was all red.  
"Don't be dramatic! It wasn't that hot!" It sure as hell hadn't burnt me.  
"He's human! You're supposed to test it first!"  
"I did!" I lied blatantly. "He's not burnt. Just over dramatic. Like you."  
He rolled his eyes and went back to calming Garrett. After ten or so minutes he carefully lifted him onto the ground and wrapped a towel around him to keep him warm. "Did you bang your head, buddy?" he asked gently, brushing Garrett's hair off his forehead to reveal a small scrape.  
"He slipped…" I winced as a trickle of blood ran down the side of his face, waiting for Carlisle to blow up at me.  
Whatever response he was going to give me was cut off by Garrett being violently sick, coughing up whatever water he must have swallowed when he went under. Still he didn't yell at me, just quickly dried Garrett and dressed him in his pyjamas.  
"Can you go and get a bucket please, Kate?" he asked evenly.  
"Why do I have to go? I'm the one looking after him!" I snapped harshly.  
"Because you're not doing a very good job of it," he replied, a hint of venom in his voice this time.  
"Fucking jerk," I hissed, stalking off and returning with what he'd asked. When I got back, Siobhan was there as well, handing him an icepack and flannel.  
Garrett climbed out of the blankets Carlisle had tucked him into and onto his knee, wanting to be held. He winced but didn't flinch away as he pressed the icepack over the already taped up wound.  
Carlisle slid his arm around his waist, securing him in case he fell.  
He just clutched Oliver and lent back into him, starting to relax.  
"Don't go to sleep, Garrett, okay?" he murmured to him.  
"Why?" Garrett whined softly, cuddling into him further, liking the coldness of his skin.  
"Because you hit your head, and sometimes you can get concussion, which means that you will feel even worse if you go to sleep," he tried to explain.  
"What happened?" Siobhan asked, smiling when Garrett looked up at her.  
"Kate wasn't watching him properly; he fell and hit his head and swallowed some of the water when she didn't help him. Oh, and she tried to boil him alive." He spoke so Garrett wouldn't overhear, but his voice was loaded with blame and anger.  
"It was a simple mistake, Carlisle!" I shouted, bringing my fist down on the bedside table with a crash. Garrett gasped and shrank into him at the noise, holding Oliver even tighter.  
"You could have killed him," he whispered, losing conviction.  
"He's okay, though. Everything is okay," Siobhan murmured, squeezing his shoulder. "We're all going to be fine."  
He swallowed hard and nodded, hugging Garrett. "You need to be more careful, Kate." It sounded like an innocent suggestion, but I was in no mood for it.  
"And you need to back the fuck off," I screeched.  
"I just want to help! I'm sorry that I yell at you but I'm as scared as you are! I love him too…" his response was more submissive than aggressive but in my rage I snatched Garrett off him.  
"Katie," he pleaded as Garrett burst into tears again.  
"Shut up." I shoved the child into Siobhan's arms before sending several thousand volts through Carlisle, watching with pleasure as he was rendered all but unconscious, silencing any remark he had for me. "I told you to stop calling me that." I grabbed the boy again and stalked downstairs.


	19. Chapter 19

**When you're mad at Kate and you're the one that made her do it in the first place.**

**Siobhan POV**

I just sat next to Carlisle, holding his hand until the tremors stopped and he could sit up again. "Are you alright? How's your vision?" I asked softly, knowing he would have a headache, forcing myself to smile despite the anger bubbling inside me.  
"…Okay…" he mumbled. He was very quiet and his voice shook. Pain was still evident on his face. He didn't make any attempt to move and I wondered if he was dizzy.  
"Do you want to go to bed, maybe?" I suggested, reaching over to brush his hair off his face.  
He looked so sleepy I worried he might pass out again, vampire or not. He nodded slowly in answer to my question.  
I stood and slowly pulled him to his feet, steadying him to stop him from tripping, and led him down the hallway. Apart from stumbling a few times he didn't seem too struggle much, but his relief to be lying down was obvious. "Are you sure you're okay? That must have hurt," I pressed, sort of wanting him to ask for me for comfort or to hug him or something.  
He tried to smile. "I'm fine."  
I fell back on the other side of the bed with a huff, so I was lying next to him.  
Carlisle let out a breath I didn't realise he'd been holding. "So…what is happening with you and Liam, if you don't mind me asking?"  
"We're breaking up," I told him surely. "I've had enough of his shit."  
He chuckled quietly. "A determined Irish woman, huh?" he teased me.  
"Shut up." I elbowed him lightly, making him laugh again.  
"Don't worry. I like that about you."  
"Liam didn't," I whispered, swallowing so I won't cry. He caught onto my emotions even though I tried to hide them.  
"Hey, come here." He slid closer and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. "I know it hurts, but you'll be okay, alright? I'll make sure of it."  
"Like you don't have enough of your own problems," I whimpered, cuddling into him anyway.  
He shrugged. "I'll get over it."  
"What about Garrett?" I asked cautiously.  
He hesitated. "…I will get him back."

**Kate POV**

Garrett cried relentlessly all night, not calming for anything I tried. I longed and longed for my husband to come back but it was no use.

"Hey Kate?" Eleazar started carefully.  
"Hmm?" I set about making Garrett breakfast while he watched tearfully at the table.  
"Is there something wrong with Carlisle? He's been very quiet since last night…Do you think maybe he's feeling sick again?"  
"I don't know. He's going to have to learn to forget about her, because she obviously didn't want him." My words were intentionally harsh as I knew the vampire in question was in earshot. "Maybe it has something to do with him leaving tonight."  
"NO!" Garrett screamed, shoving his bowl off the table so it smashed on the floor. "NO NO NO! HE CANT GO!" The zebra was in his arms again and he wailed hysterically.  
"He has to, baby," I soothed, smoothing down his hair. "He feels that he overstayed his welcome, and now he had to go away. He knows its not good for you to have him here anymore. He has to leave. He's going to be gone by dinner tonight."  
Garrett buried his face in his arms and cried and cried, his sleeves becoming wet with tears.  
"Hey, come here, Garrett, everything is going to be fine," Eleazar murmured sadly, scooping him up into a hug. "It's okay. We can still call him, and he'll come visit us."  
I shook my head, making eye contact with Carlisle now although he was still hidden from everyone else. "He doesn't want to talk to you anymore, Garrett, and he cant come and see us for a very long time."  
Garrett was screaming, his face hot and red. "WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS KATIE?!"  
"It's not me, my love. It's Carlisle," I chided gently, running my fingers through his hair. "He's sick of you, Garrett. I'm sorry, honey."  
He choked on his cries, gagging and eventually throwing up. "I hate him!" he shrieked, clinging to Eleazar. "He promised he wouldn't go!"  
"I know, my baby," I cooed, rubbing his back.  
Carlisle looked like he'd been punched and just stood there in the doorway, for once not running to the rescue and stealing Garrett from me.  
I smiled at him, kissing _my _little one on the cheek.  
"I hate him," Garrett whimpered meekly, reaching for me. Once I took him into my arms he clung to me.  
At that Carlisle bolted, hidden by the trees within seconds.  
"I knew you could be mean, Kate, but I didn't know you were such a selfish, possessive bitch," Siobhan spat, instructing Maggie to go home before going after Carlisle.  
"He should know when to back off," I growled lowly. "He's mine."

**Siobhan POV**

I'd never seen Carlisle such a wreck. He didn't cry or yell or anything, but he was almost completely catatonic.  
"How about we go home, hmm?" I suggested, sitting next to him under the tree.  
"This is home," he mumbled, not looking up but offering a small smile.  
"I'll be damned if I let you stay here by yourself." I wrapped my arm around his waist, resting my head on his shoulder. The gesture was more comforting for me, I think, but he didn't protest.  
"I'll be fine." He shrugged noncommittally.  
"You _will_ be fine, but are you fine now?" I pushed, squeezing him a little tighter.  
He rolled his eyes. "He's two, Siobhan. It's not supposed to make a difference to me whether a two year old hates me or not." Despite his words his voice caught a little.  
"Yes, but it's Garrett and you love him. It's not just a two year old. Come on, get up. We're going home." I stood and then grabbed his hand, dragging him to his feet. "And you stop moping. I love you, but I'm not your mother. You can look after yourself," I teased him.  
He laughed softly, straightening his clothing. "Okay."  
"Okay?" I chuckled.  
"Okay," he confirmed. He held his breath when I slid my fingers through his, but let me guide him toward home.

**Kate POV**

"No!" Garrett whined, flopping onto the floor.  
"Bed," I growled, pointing up the staircase.  
"No!" he screamed again before breaking down crying, curling up where he was and hugging himself tightly. For the past three months this was normal behaviour. Anything brought on a tantrum; preschool, bedtime, bath time, dinner, breakfast or lunch, having to get dressed, getting out of bed, brushing his teeth…even being told to go and _play_. His new favourite word was 'no', usually screeched at an ear shattering volume.  
"If you don't fix things with Carlisle, this child is going to drown in his own tears," Tanya threatened motheringly, picking Garrett up off the floor. "Settle now, little one. Where's Oliver?"  
As much as he insisted that he would not even look at Carlisle, if Oliver was more than about three feet away the world ended.  
Garrett pointed to the shelf, calming a little as she handed it to him.  
"Bed time now, alright?" she carried him up the stairs.  
That brought on more tears and I followed them to the bedroom with a sigh. This was going to be another long night.  
She tucked him into the blankets and he clutched the teddy tightly, still sobbing and making the pillow wet with tears. "Come on, Garrett. We need you dinner to stay in your tummy, okay?" she spoke to him softly, brushing his hair off his face. "Don't make yourself sick again, honey."  
He nodded but made no visible effort to calm down.  
She turned to me. "You need to make him a doctor's appointment; maybe they could give him a sedative or something. He needs to sleep, it wont be helping his behaviour at all."  
"I cant! There could be blood!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air.  
"Yeah, well, you should have thought of that before you burnt all your bridges and destroyed our relationship with Carlisle. This doesn't just fall on you, Kate. It affects all of us. There is no way he'll have anything to do with anyone from this coven after that."  
I held my tongue, nodding in defeat.

Two days later I sat holding my breath at the local doctor's clinic. Garrett sat next to me, swinging his legs over the side of the chair and watching the tiles beneath his feet. It seemed like an eternity when his name was finally called.  
"Hello, little fella, you must be Garrett. I'm Doctor O'Bryan." He crouched down in front of him, ruffling his hair. Garrett looked from him to me incredulously.  
"Say hello," I prompted.  
He mumbled something that sounded more like my name than a greeting and reached to be picked up.  
I obliged and took him to sit in the chair opposite the doctor.  
"What made you bring him here today?" he asked of me.  
I grimaced. "He wont sleep."  
He chuckled. "Does any child at his age?"  
"No, I'm serious. He literally sleeps for about four hours a night. He just cries and cries at bedtime and refuses."  
He frowned. "Do you have bad dreams, Garrett?" he asked, leaning forward to place his hands on his knee.  
Garrett sucked on his sleeve, nodding.  
"You didn't tell me that, sweetheart," I scolded lightly.  
"Does he wet the bed?" he asked me.  
"Constantly. And he's started having accidents during the day which is new."  
He wrote something on a piece of paper. "Eating habits?"  
"He's hard to feed. We used to not have problems, but now he hardly eats at all."  
"What's his behaviour like?"  
I sighed. "He cries all the time and he's incredibly restless. He used to be well behaved but now he refuses to do as he's told and everything is a big deal to him."  
He did several tests then, taking his temperature and looking at his throat and eyes, just general checks. Much to Garrett discomfort. He squirmed and I had to hold him still.  
"Now, what I think we're dealing with here is stress. Have there been any big changes in your lives? I mean have you moved house, had a new baby, anything like that? No deaths or divorces or anything?"  
I shook my head. "No. Nothing. Everything is the same it always is." _Except my husband is a child._  
"Do you miss anybody, Garrett? Is there something you feel sad about?"  
Immediately tears welled in his eyes and his breaths caught in his throat. I already knew what was coming next before he said anything. "I m-miss Carlisle," he sniffed, trying to wipe his face on his sleeve. "B-but he's gone a-away…"  
Doctor O'Bryan looked at me. "Separation anxiety," he said with certainty.


	20. Chapter 20

**Kate POV**

Tanya wasn't impressed with the doctor's diagnoses, and I think she'd already guessed what was wrong. Garrett's behaviour was starting to push me over the edge. He didn't cry for Carlisle openly, but he wouldn't do anything without being attached to that damn zebra toy. Aside from that, he was becoming more and more uncooperative.

"Kate, we had an accident," Carmen called to me as I came down the stairs.  
When I came into the kitchen, I was confronted with Garrett, red faced and a small puddle at his feet. "Oh, honey, not this again," I sighed, kissing the top of his head.  
He blushed even harder. "I'm sorry, Katie," he whispered. "I didn't mean to…"  
"I know, love. Come on, let's get you changed." I moved to take him upstairs but Carmen stopped me.  
"You need Carlisle. You know you do."  
I shook my head. "Garrett just needs time. We'll be okay."  
She looked from me to him. "He's not okay Kate. Surely you can see that."

**Siobhan POV**

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting next to Carlisle on the bed. I wasn't sure what made me ask, but now I watched him, he did seem 'off'.  
He bit his lip, deciding whether he was going to tell me, before relenting. "It's one year today."  
"Since..?" I wasn't sure whether he meant Esme or Garrett, or something completely different that I hadn't noticed. I did worry about him; we had never talked about divorce or loss or illness…or a certain person suddenly becoming two. My divorce from Liam was nowhere near as messy as his with Esme; I guess we weren't human enough for it to matter as much. But it still hurt like hell. The vegetarian vampires did seem to have stronger emotions and connections to each other than the rest of us. I'd forced him to stay with me and Maggie after Liam left. There was no way I wanted him out there while he was like this. I knew for a fact he would stop hunting, and part of me wondered if his depression might drive him back to the Volturi.  
Carlisle glanced up at me. "He should be three today. If we're counting like that."  
"Maybe you could call them?" I suggested softly.  
He shot away from me, abruptly on the other side of the room. "They don't want me."  
Suddenly I realised that it wasn't just missing Garrett that he was faced with, it was the rejection of being forced away from the Denalis, along with Esme and his coven, within a short space of time. It had cut him off from everyone who he considered family. "Come here, Carlisle, you need a hug." I grabbed his hand and jerked him forward toward me again.  
"No- no hugs," he protested, trying to squirm away. "I do not need a hug."  
"You don't like me touching you, then?" I faked hurt.  
His face flushed slightly. "That's not what I mean- Jesus. You're messing with me, aren't you?"  
I nodded, starting to giggle. "Do come here though. I can't stand you being sad." I held out my hand and after a pause he took it, sitting beside me. I hugged him tightly. "We'll get him back."  
"We have to- we just…have to…" He held his breath and I knew it was to keep from crying.  
"It's okay," I soothed, squeezing him a little.  
"I miss him," he mumbled, the tears over flowing.  
"I know you do. You'll get to see him again, don't worry, sweetie." I slowly rubbed my hand up and down his back, sort of relieved he was finally crying about this. He wouldn't even talk about this before.  
"B-but he won't be Garrett! He's not Garrett anymore! And-and- what if we get him back and he doesn't remember-"  
"Carlisle, shh, he'll be fine-"  
"That's a lie, Siobhan! We both know it is!" He was hyperventilating now, his entire body shaking.  
"Shh, come here. Take some deep breaths, okay?" I forced him to lie down beside me, trying to keep him calm while getting him to let go as well.  
"I'm sorry- I'm sorry, Siobhan…" He tried to wipe his face dry. "I m-miss him so much and- I'm sorry-"  
I silenced him, pressing my lips against his. "It's okay, sweetie. You're allowed to cry."  
Carlisle looked shocked, holding his breath and looking up at me.  
"I'm sorry I did that, it was out of line. I understand that you might not be ready for that kind of relationship yet-"  
He slid his arms around my waist, leaning over me to kiss me again, more forcefully that I had done to him.  
I smiled against his lips, pulling him down on top of me and running my fingers through his hair. He didn't try and stop me as I ran my hands down his back, or when I started to undo his belt. His fingers slowly undoing to buttons on my shirt although he shifted nervously.  
"Carlisle," Maggie asked, pressing her hand over her mouth to smother a giggle when she saw us.  
He jumped up, quickly doing up his pants before spinning around to face her, blushing uncontrollably. "Yes?" he asked, biting his lip to hide an embarrassed smile.  
She looked him up and down before handing him the phone. "It's Tanya."  
"Thank you," he mumbled, disappearing out the door.  
Maggie turned to me, a big smile on her face. "Having fun, were we?" she teased.  
"I _was_ trying to cheer him up a bit," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.  
"By sleeping with him? Sure."  
"That bit wasn't planned," I mumbled. "I wasn't thinking."  
She sighed and flopped onto the bed next to me. "So you like him then?"  
"…I love him," I admitted. "But I don't think he really wants to hear that just yet. Not after...her…"  
"He seemed ready enough," she giggled.  
"He's confused," I sighed.  
"Yeah well, he's cute when he's embarrassed."  
"Embarrassed is an understatement, I think," I chuckled. "Mortified would be more accurate."  
"You think maybe he loves you back?" she asked tentatively.  
"I hope so…but there's really no reason why he would, is there. At least with Liam we were both as equally…disgusting…but with Carlisle…I mean, he's gorgeous. He's not going to want that with me." I thought for a moment. "With Tanya, maybe. I could see them together. She's perfect and little and smart, everything he is, really. But not with me." I shook my head, trying to remove the thought.  
"I love you, anyway." She hugged me suddenly.  
"Thank, Maggie," I murmured, squeezing her back tightly.  
"Siobhan…" Carlisle was standing at the door, toying with the phone in his hands. His eyes were wide, frightened, almost.  
"Hmm?" I glanced up at him, nervous that he might have overheard our conversation, but he didn't seem to have.  
"Garrett's sick…" His voice caught a little. "They want…" he swallowed, controlling whatever emotion threatened to overflow. "Tanya wants me to go back to Alaska…"  
I stood, going to him and placing my hands on his shoulders. "You have to go, Carlisle. He obviously needs you."  
He nervously bit the inside of his cheek. "…Can you come with me…Please..? I…I need you…"  
I couldn't hide my smile, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. "Of course I will. I need you too."

**Kate POV**

"You WHAT?!" I shouted at Tanya, my voice ripping through several octaves.  
"I told Carlisle that Garrett was unwell, and asked him to come back again," she replied flatly. "He should be here within the next half an hour."  
In my arms, Garrett was crying. "My tummy hurts…" he whimpered, his little arms around my neck while he buried his face in my shoulder.  
"Shh, I know, sweetie. How about we go and lie down for a while, hmm?" I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to calm him. I knew it was the argument between me and Tanya that had made him sore again. Whenever someone raised their voice or he became stressed it seemed to happen; all part of the anxiety the doctor diagnosed.  
"Hurting, Katie," he told me again, grabbing at the front of his shirt.  
"It's okay, Garrett. We'll go have a little rest and it will pass, you know that. I can get you some medicine if gets too bad, love." I kissed his cheek, still fuming at my 'sister' but unable to say anything now.  
He whimpered again, clinging to me as I tried to set him on the bed. "Don't go," he pleaded desperately.  
"I wont, honey, I'm right here." I sat next to him. "Do you know what day it is today?" I asked, trying to distract him.  
He shook his head, sucking on his sleeve.  
"It's your birthday!" I leant down to kiss his forehead.  
"I don't want to," he whispered fearfully.  
"Don't be scared, Garrett. It just means that you're a whole year older. You're three now! It's a good thing."  
Again he just shook his head, wincing as the pain worsened. I suddenly regretted telling him, seeming as he thought it was bad.  
"Don't think about it, love." I scooped him up, lifting him into my lap.  
"It hurts," he sniffed, his hands pressing into his stomach.  
"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" I asked, floundering for other reasons why he might not feel well.  
Garrett shook his head, curling into himself a little.  
"My poor baby." I slid my hand under his, rubbing slow circles which seemed to relax him somewhat. "Do you want me to read to you?"  
He nodded, starting to get sleepy, now. There was no way I was about to tell him that we'd been planning a party and list of things he would do today. If he wanted to sleep, then we could do it tomorrow. He might enjoy it more if Carlisle was here.  
_Carlisle. Shit_. Carlisle meant apologies, probably tears, and a lot of tummy aches. Or no tummy aches, depending on whether Garrett still hated him or not. I guessed not with the reaction he had over Oliver. "Hey, Garrett?"  
He glanced up at me, his fingers in his mouth.  
"Don't be mad at Carlisle, okay? That was my fault; I was mean and I made him go away. He loves you very, very much. And so do I, but it's okay if you're mad at me."  
"I know," he mumbled. "But he promised! And now he's gone-" he was crying again, almost choking himself with hysterical sobs as he clutched the teddy. "I miss him…"  
"I miss you too, Garrett," Carlisle murmured from the doorway, forcing a smile even though he looked like he might burst into tears at the slightest push.  
He shrieked in delight and rushed forward, throwing his arms around his legs and hugging him tightly.  
"Come here, you." He picked him up, wrapping his arms around him. "You've grown, mister."  
"You're still the same size," Garrett told him with a grin.  
"I'm glad. I would be a little concerned if I wasn't," he chuckled, smiling genuinely now.  
"Carlisle," I started carefully. "I'm sorry…"  
He glanced up at me, almost as if he had forgotten I was there, and his whole demeanour changed. Suddenly he was nervous, all confidence gone.  
I had no idea whether he would accept my apology.


	21. Chapter 21

**Kate POV**

"I'm really sorry," I repeated; he didn't seem to have heard me.  
"Why?" he asked eventually, glancing up.  
I almost laughed, the question seemed ridiculous. "Um, because I shocked the shit out of you for trying to help me."  
"But you were right. I got in the way. You're his mate – and his mother at the moment – and I shouldn't have gotten in the middle of that; it wasn't fair to you, or to him and-"  
"Carlisle, just stop, okay. We both know who's in the wrong here." I forced a smile, watching Garrett snuggle into him. "And besides, I'm a useless mother. He needs you more."  
He sighed but didn't fight me anymore, just hugging Garrett. "What's wrong with him? Tanya said he was sick."  
"He has separation anxiety. From missing you, apparently."  
His hold around him tightened a little bit. "…I made him sick..?"  
"No, Carlisle, you leaving made him sick. No you directly- he was just upset when I forced you out so suddenly." I struggled to find a way to explain it in a way that Carlisle couldn't find a way to blame himself, and it was almost as hard as trying to explain a concept to a two year old – harder maybe, a two year old that could think faster than me.  
He mumbled something under his breath, probably disagreement, but it was inaudible from where I was.  
"Love you, Carlisle," Garrett giggled happily, his fingers white from holding onto his jacket so tightly.  
"I love you too, Garrett. Happy birthday."  
"No birthdays," he shook his head vigorously.  
"I think you might find it's a little late for that, my friend," he chuckled, glancing at me.  
"No."  
"Come on, it'll be fun. I'll come with you."  
"Don't want to," he whined, squirming to get closer.  
"Let's go. Hold my hand, it's a good thing. You'll like it, I promise," he set him on the ground and knelt in front of him, rubbing his back, and Garrett nodded cautiously, holding onto his fingers.

Turns out vampires can go incredibly over-board in three quarters of an hour. There was cake and streamers and balloons and glitter and apparently everything else that Carmen could get her hands on.  
"Ah, wow," I chuckled, unable to keep from smiling.  
"In my defence, I did try and stop her, but I'm not getting between her and a packet of balloons again," Eleazar laughed, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist.  
"Tanya and Siobhan encouraged it," she giggled, glancing about as if she had just noticed how much there actually was around. "And besides, we haven't had a party in ages. It might be fun. Some of the others are coming in a few hours; maybe we could have a few drinks once Garrett crashes."  
I nodded; of all the human experiences that vampires missed out on, getting drunk wasn't one of them. We seemed to absorb alcohol as well as anybody else. "As long as no one goes over the top. He doesn't need to be exposed to hung over family members passed out on the floor."

"Come have cake, Garrett," I called, smiling as he tore around the house giggling.  
"Cake?" he asked, stopping at my feet and reaching up so I could pick him up.  
"Cake," I confirmed, setting him at the table and giving him the plate.  
He ignored the spoon completely, opting to grab fistfuls instead. It literally got everywhere; in his hair, on his shirt and all over his face. "Sticky," he told me once it was gone. The only clean thing in about a five foot radius was his plate.  
"You are, aren't you," I chuckled, pulling his shirt over his head and then moving to find a cloth. I wiped as much of it off him as I could without actually putting him in the bath.  
"Why do they float?" he asked excitedly, jumping up and pointing at the balloons.  
I collected one from the ceiling and handed him the string, kissing the top of his head. "Because they're full of helium, love."  
"What's helium?" He watched it in wonder.  
"Gas."  
"Like farts?"  
"Eleazar," I grumbled, knowing this was his doing. "No, more like air, Garrett." I couldn't hold back a laugh.  
"Oh. Does air float?" he asked curiously, holding the red balloon in both hands now, looking through it at me.  
"Ahh…why don't you ask Carlisle? I'm sure he'll know," I told him, floundering in his endless questions.  
"He doesn't know," Carlisle called from the longue. "Don't ask him."  
Garrett ran and jumped on him anyway, scrambling to get onto his lap. "I had cake," he announced proudly.  
"I can see that," he chuckled, wiping a bit off his face I'd missed.  
"I like cake."  
"Hmm, try this." He picked up a bottle off the floor. On the label I saw the word lemon, but didn't stop him out of curiosity.  
"Carlisle! Don't give him alcohol! He's only a baby!" Siobhan scolded. I snickered at how much they acted like his mother and father.  
"Oh relax. It isn't alcoholic. It's practically fizzy juice," he retorted, still giving it to Garrett who reached for it eagerly.  
"Then why are you drinking it?" she asked sceptically.  
"Because I happen to like it."  
Garrett recoiled when it made contact with his tongue, pulling a face. "Sour," he whined. "Yucky."  
"More?" Carlisle asked, trying to hide a smile.  
Garrett nodded and took it again, shaking his head at the bitter taste of it. "Yucky," he repeated, giggling. "It makes bubbles."  
"Do you like the bubbles?" He shifted him slightly on his knee so he wasn't in danger of slipping off.  
"Yes. But it makes my nose all fizzy."  
"You're going to give him a sugar rush, Carlisle," Siobhan warned again.  
"It's his birthday," he protested. "Let him love a little."  
She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else.  
"Do you want to play a game, Garrett?" he asked him.  
"Yes!" he yelped excitedly.  
"Inside voice please," I warned, but I didn't have the heart to tell him off. Not today.  
"Here, open this." He set a parcel on his lap. Whatever was inside of it was covered in bright yellow paper, much to my little one's joy.  
Garrett couldn't get the paper off fast enough. "What are they?" he asked, staring at the objects inside in wonder.  
"Walky-talkies. Here," he flicked a button on the side and it let out a hiss. "Take it upstairs and hold down this switch, okay?" he instructed, setting him on his feet.  
"Okay!" he took off upstairs and out of sight.  
Carlisle said something into it and Garrett broke out into hysterical laughter, running back down to us.  
"Thank you," he threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly.  
"I have another surprise," he told him, glancing up at me. Carlisle and I had discussed it earlier and although I'd agreed to it, I was still apprehensive; I'd never been away from him for long, and this seemed like an eternity.  
Garrett looked up at him expectantly.  
"You know how I promised I'd take you to France with me?"  
He nodded, his eyes alive.  
Carlisle handed him a piece of paper, unable to help smiling while the toddler looked at it.  
"Tickets?" he guessed, awe written all over his face.  
He nodded, laughing when Garrett hugged him again.  
"Can I go, Katie? Can he really take me?" he pleaded, bouncing at my feet.  
"Of course you can, my little one." I leant down to kiss his cheek. "I'm trust Carlisle to take good care of you."  
"I can take care of myself," he insisted.  
"Sure," I agreed, giggling at his confidence.  
He cheered, still hanging off my legs.

It was amazing how into the spirit of things all of the other vampires had gotten. By the end of the day he'd received an assortment of gifts, most of them wrapped in some obnoxiously coloured paper. He had teddies and paint and art sets and play dough, even a strange little dog that squeaked when you pulled it along by it's string. At six o'clock, full of cake and fizzy drink and an assortment of lollies that people had produced, Garrett was finally exhausted, whatever sugar in his system finally running out.  
"Tired, Katie," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he tugged on my hand.  
"Okay, sweetie, come on. You've had a big day." I turned away from Kebi, Amun's wife and one of our guests, and took him upstairs. By the time I was half way up the stairs he was asleep in my arms, his head resting on my shoulder. He didn't even wake up as I changed him into his pyjamas and slid him into bed.

**Siobhan POV**

"Thank you for coming with me," Carlisle murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and pulling me back against him.  
"It's a lot more pleasant than being away from you," I told him without thinking.  
"It's a lot more pleasant being with you." He kissed the base of my neck, squeezing me a little tighter.  
"What are you doing?" I asked, turning around to face him.  
"Finishing what we started?"  
"And what exactly was that?" I teased, kissing him and pushing him back against the edge of the table.  
"We missed a bit the other night," he continued, sort of dodging me when I tried to undress him.  
"What bit?" It was hard to concentrate with him so close to me, even harder because his lips were so close to mine.  
"The bit where I told you I…I…"  
"You what?" I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull myself closer to him.  
"I love you."


	22. Chapter 22

**Siobhan POV**

"I love you too." I leant forward to kiss him again, but stopped part way. "Are you _sure_ that you do? I mean really? It's not too soon, or anything?"  
"I'm defiantly mean it." He closed the distance. "I've spent the last few months trying to convince myself otherwise. It's impossible for me not to; you're so…so…perfect…and- I'm sorry…I ramble when I get nervous…" he glanced up at me shyly.  
"Oh, really? I cant tell," I teased, hugging him.  
He bit his lip to hide a smile.  
"You're so cute. I love your rambling." I ran my hands down his sides, pulling him closer. "Come. I can think of a little activity for us while everyone else is distracted?" I grinned.  
"Can you now?" Taking my hand he sort of pulled me up the stairs.

"Carwile…" Garrett sniffed from the doorway.  
"Shit- why does this keep happening?" He shot away from me, already fully dressed while I scrambled for a shirt. "What's wrong, buddy?" he asked, kneeling in front of the crying toddler.  
"H-had a nightmare," he whimpered, reaching up to hug him. "I'm scared…"  
"Aww, come here. It's okay." He picked him up and hugged him tightly.  
The minute he touched him he started sobbing hysterically, burying his face in his shirt.  
"Shh, Garrett, it's alright. You're safe. I'll come back to bed with you, okay?"  
"No! No bed! I don't want to!" he shrieked, clinging to him.  
"Okay, okay. I have an idea. Stay here with Siobhan for a minute, alright?" He handed him to me despite Garrett's desperate protests. A little while longer he came back, biting open a packet in the process. He handed him the little tube, sliding him onto his knee again. "Snap it," he encouraged.  
Wincing, Garrett bent it until it crunched loudly, and a bright yellow light burst out of it. The little one was absolutely fascinated, quickly breaking the rest of it until the whole thing glowed.  
"What is he?" he asked Carlisle, waving it around. He seemed to have suddenly forgotten his other problem.  
"It's a glow stick," he chuckled. "After a few hours it will go out."  
"And then I have to snap it again?" he questioned eagerly.  
"No, and then it's gone and you have to get a new one."  
"Like gone forever? Like it disappears?"  
"More like the light just goes out." He tried to hide his smile. "The tube will still be here."  
"Okay." He shrunk back into him as he turned out the light, squeezing his eyes shut while his breaths caught in his throat. "Turn it back on," he pleaded, making an obvious effort not to cry.  
"Shh, it's alright. I'm sorry." He flicked the switch again so the room lit up.  
"Garrett, honey, are you scared of the dark?" I asked softly, crouching in front of him to brush his hair off his face.  
He nodded shyly, sucking on his sleeve. "Katie leaves the hallway light on at night time so I can see," he whimpered quietly.  
Carlisle hugged him again. "How about we buy you a night light tomorrow, okay?"  
Again he just nodded, clinging to him. "Can you come to bed with me?" he asked.  
To be honest, I don't think Carlisle really had much of a choice; either he went with him, or Garrett screamed.  
"Of course I can." He picked him up and took him back down the hallway.  
I had a feeling this wasn't going to be the first night I lost Carlisle to a three year old.

**Kate POV**

"Are you having fun, Carlisle?" I teased, standing in the doorway and watching him with Garrett. The toddler was asleep, but lying in such a way that Carlisle couldn't get out from under him without waking him up, his arms wrapped around his neck.  
"I think I'm his prisoner," he laughed, trying not to shake him in the process. "He's scared of the dark," he added after a moment of silence.  
I nodded. "I know. I either have to leave the lamp on or the door open and the hallway light on." I couldn't fight off a smile when I realised he was tightly clutching a glow stick that had run out of light. "You can go back to the others if you want. I'll stay with him."  
The way he avoided eye contact with me confirmed my suspicion of what he had been doing before Garrett interrupted, and I couldn't resist teasing him some more.  
"Maybe Siobhan will take you prisoner," I suggested, purely to watch him squirm uncomfortably.  
"Oh my god, Kate, no." He shook his head.  
I just laughed and took the child off him, delighted when Garrett snuggled into me without protest.  
Carlisle fled the room immediately to get away from me.

My clingy boy didn't wake up until morning, and I tried to put off taking him downstairs as long as possible, hoping to give Tanya enough time to scrape the drunks off the floor. Eventually though, he wouldn't have it anymore and I had to let him go, his main concern finding Carlisle.  
"Carlisle!" he jumped on him, hugging his legs as he stood in the kitchen, smiling up at him.  
Carlisle winced at the sound of his voice and Tanya laughed. "Hung over, are we?" she teased.  
"A little," he mumbled, picking up Garrett and putting him at the table. "I suppose you'll be wanting food?" he asked him, messing up his hair.  
Garrett nodded eagerly and within minutes he had a pancake in front of him, courtesy of my sister.  
After a while, Eleazar stumbled into the kitchen. "What are we doing? What time is it?" he asked sleepily, still dazed.  
"It's almost lunch time, Eleazar," Carmen smirked, rolling her eyes.  
"Dear god," he mumbled, and then nudged Carlisle. "You want to come for a run with me?"  
"You mean like exercise? Like moving? Outside?" he asked sceptically.  
He laughed. "It'll help with your stamina. You wouldn't want to disappoint Siobhan, would you?" He fought a smile.  
Carlisle groaned and covered his face with his hands. "How do you all know about this?"  
"Educated guess," he teased.  
"They were cuddling," Garrett accused, his mouth full of food. "And he said I love you and then she said I love you back and then he kissed her and-"  
"Shush, you little traitor," Carlisle laughed, looking like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. "Maybe three year old Garrett isn't much different to adult Garrett. Anyway, you were supposed to be in bed!"  
"I didn't wanna," he whined. "Everyone else was still up."  
"Cuddling, huh?" Eleazar continued, looking Carlisle up and down.  
He shifted uncomfortably, looking away.  
"Come running with me," he pressed. "It's less painful if someone else is suffering too."  
"Fine," he agreed reluctantly. "Just don't blame me when I die and you want to go further."  
"I'll leave you on the side of the road," he laughed.  
"Deal."  
"Can I come too?" Garrett asked, wriggling to get out of his chair.  
"Ah…You and me can go for a walk later, Garrett, okay?" Carlisle asked, hugging him before handing him to me.  
He nodded but his disappointment was obvious.

About an hour later they came back, Eleazar panting and struggling to breathe. Carlisle looked fine, barely out of breath.  
"Have fun?" Siobhan asked. I hadn't seen her at all this morning, but Carlisle's arrival seemed to draw her in.  
"Apparently my stamina was going to disappoint you." He glared playfully at Eleazar who grumbled something under his breath.  
"We'll have to test his theory then, hmm?" She kissed him, holding his face in her hands.  
"Ah…" Momentarily, he seemed to forget what he was doing.  
"Keep it in your pants, Siobhan," Tanya teased. "He's a male. He cant multitask. There's no way he can function and be turned on at the same time."  
"Not fair!" Carlisle shot back. "I feel like I'm being ganged up on this morning." He smiled to cover embarrassment.  
"I still love you," Garrett offered.  
"I love you too-"  
"Whore," Siobhan whispered so Garrett wouldn't overhear. "You say you love him, sleep in his bed, and then come crawling back to me."  
"How about we go for that walk, Garrett? We passed some deer on the way back, do you want to go see them?" he changed the subject quickly.  
"Yes!" He yelped, squirming from his arms and then running toward the door.  
"Shoes and coat, mister," he scolded lightly.  
"Are you his mother?" Siobhan asked him.  
"No… but I love him and I don't want him to get sick or hurt or-" he told her quietly, like he was worried she was mad.  
"I'm kidding, Carlisle. You can mother him all you like." She lent forward and kissed him, holding his face in her hands.  
"Eww, you said we were going for a walk," Garrett complained loudly.  
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Lets go."


	23. Chapter 23

**Siobhan POV**

Okay, so I was stalking them. No big deal. If fact, I wouldn't even call it stalking, more just watching from a distance so they wouldn't notice me, my excuse being that they were inexplicably adorable.  
I settled in a tree about ten metres away, counting on the fact that Carlisle was so distracted by Garrett he wouldn't notice me. The little one was in absolute wonder over the deer, badly wanting to play with them, but Carlisle wasn't letting him, much to his annoyance.  
"No fun!" Garrett accused crossly, folding his arms in the irritated manner only small children can do.  
"They will be scared of you, Garrett. I'm surprised they let us get this close," Carlisle tried to explain, failing at hiding a smile at his friend's expression.  
"No, they just don't like you! They like me!" he protested.  
He sighed, smothering laughter. "Fine, go play with your deer friends. I'll wait here."  
His face brightened immediately and he rushed toward the heard, making some form of strange sound which he apparently thought the deer made. As soon as he stepped forward, they startled and bolted, leaving the toddler to stare at them in dismay. "B-but…" he whimpered, tears starting to well in his eyes.  
"Hey, I have an idea." Carlisle picked him up suddenly, provoking hysterical giggles instead. "What if we build a hut?"  
"Like a tree house?" he asked excitedly, glancing up at the forest above them.  
"Yeah, Siobhan likes climbing trees, so why don't we give it ago?"  
_Dammit. He knew._  
He let out an ecstatic whoop and squirmed from his arms. "How? What do we do?"  
"Why don't you go and pick a tree first?" he suggested, sending the three year old charging through the woods with a sense of entitlement, studying every tree like it help promise.  
"You know, you could have just come with us," he said quietly, not turning to face me.  
I sighed and dropped to the ground. "I didn't want to interrupt your 'boy's' moment."  
"We can pretend that you are a boy too," he teased, suddenly behind me, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me back against him.  
"Does that make you gay?" I giggled.  
"I guess so." He kissed the base of my neck.  
"You do realise that he's going to be back in literally seconds and he's not even out of earshot, so don't go getting yourself all worked up just yet," I teased.  
"We're vampires, we can move faster than he can." He was messing with me now, I knew.  
"Carlisle!" I pushed him away, turning to face him. "All this time I thought you were a good boy, and yet here you are trying to seduce me in the middle of a forest with a toddler about thirty metres away."  
"Well, it isn't exactly fair. You did stalk me and very rudely interrupted my date with Garrett."  
"You knew I was there the entire time, didn't you?" I grumbled.  
He kissed the end of my nose. "Of course I did. You're hard to miss."  
"Are you calling me fat?" I demanded, trying not to laugh at his shocked expression as I jerked him forward by his belt so he was against me.  
He stuttered, trying to find a reasonable response and I couldn't help but giggle as I watched him flounder. "More just, your scent is particularly sweet to me. I cant _not_ know where you are…I kind of like it, actually."  
"So you're saying that I smell?" I bit my lip, watching Garrett approach now.  
"You're impossible," he grumbled, his head coming to rest on my shoulder.  
"Did you find a tree, sweetie?" I asked the little one, smiling at him.  
His smile fell. "Is Carlisle okay?" he stammered, looking at us with wide eyes.  
"I'm fine, Garrett." He spun around and scooped him up, hugging him tightly. "Come show me this tree."  
He nodded and led the way, tugging on his hand to get him to walk faster.  
I followed them but stayed at a distance, happy just to watch them together.

About three hours and half an platform in a tree late, Kate came out wearing an exasperated expression, a look of relief washing over when she heard Garrett's laugh.  
"God damn. I thought maybe they were dead," she sighed to me.  
"Worse," I laughed. "They're building a man cave. I've been banished."  
"No! You were banished because you kept touching Carlisle!" Garrett whined, throwing a stick on the ground frowning at us.  
"Guilty as charged," I chuckled as Kate raised her eyebrows at me.  
"Come play, Katie," Carlisle called, half up the tree.  
"If he falls out of there, Carlisle Cullen, I will personally see that you have a long and painful death," she threatened.  
He rolled his eyes. "He's fine, Kate. I'm watching him."  
"You're watching Siobhan," she accused.  
"He's three feet away from me, has a heartbeat, and smells very inviting. Trust me. I cant lose him."  
"You need to hunt then," she grumbled, shaking her head at him.  
"I'll buy him a leash, if It makes you happy," he teased her.  
"And I'll whip you with it."  
"Don't be so uptight. Go and get some more nails, and then come and help me. I don't know what I'm doing."  
"We put this one here," Garrett announced, straining to move one of the heavy logs an inch.  
"Okay." Carlisle pushed it back and nailed it down when his attention was turned.  
"You know what every good tree house needs?" Eleazar asked, appearing from nowhere and quickly scaling the distance to sit in the branches with Carlisle and Garrett. "A swing."  
"Yay!" Garrett cheered, jumping about. Both of the other two moved to grab him in case he fell and Kate winced.  
"That can be your responsibility. I have enough problems putting in a nail straight," Carlisle told him, carefully going around and straightening every nail that Garrett had put in while the toddler was focused on the new arrival.  
"Come, Garrett. We'll go and find some stuff in the shed, okay? And Carlisle can finish this."  
"And I'll build a safety railing," Kate grumbled, partly anxious.  
"That isn't a bad idea, actually," Carlisle told her.  
"_That_ is a bad idea," she growled at him, pointing the partially built platform.  
"It'll be safe when it's done, don't worry," he chuckled. "The only one who's going to get hurt is me when I fall trying to build the damn thing."

Once Tanya and Carmen came out to see what the rest of their coven was doing, me and Kate were quickly kidnapped and made to start sewing curtains and blankets and pillows. After a thirty second conversation with Carlisle, apparently he and Tanya had decided something about the interior, and suddenly the whole thing became a lot grander.  
Four hours later, it was finished. Six vampires can get a lot done, apparently. Rather than a plain old tree house, there was literally a little house in the tree, or more, across several trees thanks to a certain suddenly creative doctor. The base of it was roughly ten by twelve feet, including a four-walled house with glass windows and a front door, and a small porch surrounded by a child-proof railing so he couldn't fall. On the ground was a tyre swing which Eleazar had rigged up, stalking a tyre from Tanya's car which she surprisingly didn't tell him off for, and a pull-down ladder that only someone taller than five feet could reach. Inside of the little house were the curtains, pillows and blankets we made and Garrett's contribution to the whole thing; walls over in varying thicknesses and colours of paint. Carlisle, after a few electric shocks off the wiring and some course language, had even managed to attach a light to the roof. And Garrett was thrilled, not even wanting to get back to the house and have dinner.  
"I don't want to!" he whined at Kate as she picked him up, forcefully taking him back home.  
"You have to eat," she scolded, laughing.  
"I'm sure Katie would let us sleep in the hut, if you asked her nicely," Carlisle suggested.  
His face lit up. "Please, Katie? Please can we?"  
She sighed, shaking her head at Carlisle. "If Carlisle really wants to spend the night in a tree, sure. Have fun."  
He cheered and ran into the house ahead of us, already at the table when he entered the kitchen.

"Are you going to stalk us there, too?" he teased me, leaning against my side as we waited for Kate to prepare Garrett for the night.  
"I might join you," I chuckled, turning to kiss him.  
He smiled. "I would like that very much."  
"Um, you two will need a chaperone," Kate told us. "No 'cuddling' in front of my little one, thank you."  
"I'll go with them," Tanya laughed. "Don't worry, I'll go with them, Kate."

After Garrett had fallen asleep, again clutching another glow-stick, Tanya carefully picked him up, settling him on her lap instead of Carlisle's. "Go on," she chuckled quietly. "Off you go. Go have your little 'adventure' or whatever you're going to do."  
Carlisle looked a little embarrassed, but I grinned at her. "Thank you." I grabbed his hand, pulling him out the door.  
"But you have to be back before he wakes up, or I'll tell everyone what you two are doing," she giggled.  
"We love you, Tanya."

And so I lay on the soft grass that covered the riverbank, cuddled into Carlisle's side. "You're not as…pure as I always thought," I teased him. "Zafrina seems to be under the impression that you're a good boy."  
"Hmm, she's been wrong about other things." He kissed the top of my head, pulling me closer.  
"She was right about how sweet you are though." I squeezed him tightly.  
He laughed softly. "Before I met you she didn't tell me how beautiful you were."  
"I love you so much."  
"I love you too, but if we're still buying Tanya's silence, we're going to go back." He sat up and readjusted his clothes, but it was still obvious what we had done, there was no denying it.  
"Fine," I grumbled, doing the same.  
He caught a stray piece of my hair, gently tucking it behind my ear, kissing me again.  
I pushed him away after a minute. "Carlisle. Concentrate."  
"Right, okay let's go."

"Have fun?" Tanya teased when we came, looking us both up and down.  
"It was totally uneventful," Carlisle smiled, wrapping his arm around my waist again.  
"I don't even want to know." She shook her head at us.  
We settled again, Carlisle cuddling Garrett once again, and waited for him to wake up.


	24. Chapter 24

**Sorry guys, I know it's late!**

Siobhan POV

There was no good morning when Garrett woke up, only "there's a spider on the roof". It took a minute before anyone moved. Me and Tanya scrambled for the door, while Carlisle was near hysterical laughing at us. Garrett plastered himself against the wall in the corner, obviously trusting that Carlisle wouldn't chase him with the spider as I was concerned he was going to do to me.  
"Calm down, it's just a bug," he teased, watching it as it casually made its way to the window.  
"It's a yucky bug! Make it go!" Garrett whined, pulling on his hand. "He's not like Todd."  
"Spiders aren't bugs, Carlisle. They're arachnids," Tanya corrected cautiously. "_Now take it out_."  
"It won't hurt you." All three of us pulled a face as he picked it up, cupping it in his hands. "You're vampires, for god's sake."  
"I do not trust something with that many legs," she hissed.  
"Yucky bug…" Garrett repeated, his voice trembling.  
"Okay, fine. The bug's gone, see?" He slid past us and put it on a leaf outside, although he pretended like he'd thrown it away for Garrett's sake. But I could still see it. And it could still see me. "Calm down, both of you. You're making him unnecessarily nervous over something that's fine."  
"_You_ make me unnecessarily nervous," she grumbled.  
"Gone?" Garrett checked, crawling forward. I didn't think he'd want to be held by Carlisle after that, but he went straight to him, hugging his legs.  
"Gone," he confirmed, picking him up. "Should we go and get breakfast now?"  
He smiled suddenly and nodded.

Kate POV

"Did you have a good night?" I asked as they came in, already setting Garrett's breakfast at the table.  
"Yes," Carlisle smiled at me.  
Siobhan giggled and Tanya rolled her eyes, elbowing him.  
"It was cool but there was a spider," Garrett told me, sliding from Carlisle's arms and onto the floor. "He was yucky but Carlisle took him away." When he glanced up at him I knew for sure that it was Carlisle who was his favourite person in the world, but this time it didn't make me jealous. Not even when he reached up to hold onto him fingers.  
"I'm glad you had fun."

"Hey, Kate?" I knew he wanted something by his tone; careful and polite.  
"Yes, Carlisle?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.  
He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek. "…I was thinking that I might take him to France tomorrow..?"  
"Is that a question or are you telling me?" I grumbled, quickly grabbing Garrett as he tumbled past me.  
"Um…It's a…suggestion?"  
"Do I have a choice?" I snapped, hugging him.  
"Not if you want him to like you." He smiled innocently as he blackmailed me, snatching the child from my arms.  
I rolled my eyes, knowing it was true. "Fine, take him. But don't you dare break him, or I'll break you."  
"Thank you, Katie." Seeing my frown, he laughed.  
"Asshole," I grumbled as he left the room, telling Garrett of the plans. "I told you not to call me that."

Even though it was him taking him, _I _still had to pack my baby's bag. My sulking was that extreme that I considered leaving Oliver out, and leave Carlisle was a screaming three year old on an eight hour flight, but when Garrett ran in and hugged my legs I couldn't do it; there was no way I could upset him.  
"You be good for Carlisle, okay?" I told him, hugging him even though he didn't want me to. I hated the thought of being apart from him like that; I hadn't done it since we were married. We were always attached to each other…but now he was attached to Carlisle.

Siobhan POV

"Garrett, stay here," Carlisle pleaded.  
I swallowed a laugh; the toddler was literally two feet in front of us, but Carlisle wasn't handling the whole 'child in an airport' situation very well.  
"I am!" Garrett giggled, flopping onto the floor.  
"Don't…It's got germs…" he cringed, watching him, but didn't stop him.  
"Relax, would you?" I chuckled, wrapping my arm around his waist.  
"Kate said I couldn't kill him…"  
"Don't worry, you'll lose him, not kill him," I teased, kissing his cheek. "Now, chill."  
"Siobhan, not helping!"  
"You're so highly strung."  
"You knew what you were getting into; you lived with me. And you cant leave now because I love you and I know where you live." He pulled me a little closer to him and the lady behind us made a disgusted noise. "Wait…did you tell me to 'chill'?" he laughed. "Seriously?"  
"Shut up, you're happy now, aren't you-"  
"Garrett! No! No, no, no!" He rushed over and picked him. "Do _not_ eat gum off the floor. No."  
Garrett pulled a face. "But it was soft still and-" he protested, struggling to get down.  
"Oh my god," Carlisle whined. "First thing we do on the plane is wash your hands…"  
Defiantly, the toddler put his fingers in his mouth, making eye contact with my boyfriend – wait, _was_ he my boyfriend?"  
"Garrett…please? I have to not let you die and that's how you get sick…" He couldn't keep the disgust off his face.  
"Carlisle, are we dating?" I interrupted.  
He faltered. "Ah…do you want to be?"  
I liked shy Carlisle. It was cute. "Of course I do."  
"Then yes." This time when he kissed me the woman pretended to gag.  
Garrett whined. "Ew, stop. You're gross."  
"I'm gross?" he challenged. "I don't think you're one to be the judge of that. And you're always sticky? Why are you so sticky?" He was laughing now, repositioning him so he could hand the lady our tickets.

Everything was fine on the plane until we hit turbulence. Although Garrett talked non-stop, he talked to Carlisle, while I watched the pathetic movie they provided. However, as soon as the plane started bucking, Garrett started screaming.  
"Shh, shh, Garrett it's okay." He lifted him onto his lap, letting him wrap his arms around his neck.  
"You said I wouldn't die," he sobbed, his cries intensifying when Carlisle chuckled.  
"You're not going to die, everything is okay. The clouds just make it all bumpy, but we'll be alright."  
"Scary…" He buried his face in his shoulder, eventually becoming quiet again.

After a while, he whimpered softly, curling into himself a little. "Carlisle…tummy feels funny…"  
He quickly spun him around, holding a container in front of him just as he was sick.  
"I don't want to…" he sobbed, trying to swallow.  
"I know you don't," he murmured, rubbing his back. "It'll be over soon."  
"Sir, your child needs to be wearing a seat belt," the flight attendant scolded Carlisle, shaking her head.  
"But he's sick and he's scared…" he protested, hugging him tightly.  
"It's a safety requirement," she insisted sternly.  
Garrett screamed, disturbing everyone in the cabin. "Don't want to!" he wailed frantically, trying to climb back onto him.  
"I'm sorry, buddy, you have to." He did up the seat belt, running his fingers through his hair. "You'll be okay, I'm right here."  
He clung to his arm, badly wanting to be held again. It took him a long time to calm down again, but eventually he settled for leaning on Carlisle side, letting himself be hugged that way. Just when everything was fine, he mumbled; "I need to go toilet…"  
"Really?" Carlisle asked sceptically.  
He nodded, semi-frantically. "Need a wee…"  
"Siobhan?" he looked at me for help.  
I just laughed. "You're his mother. What do you want me to do?"  
"Ugh. It'll be okay, Garrett. Just don't think about it. Here, look." He pushed a button on the screen, lighting it up with the movie.  
Garrett watched it but he was squirming where he sat, unable to keep still.  
"You do realise he has the bladder of a little kid, right?" I checked.  
"Well…I don't know what to do. We're not allowed to get up," he shrugged.  
"Carlisle," he whined desperately, pulling at his seat belt.  
"I know, Garrett. It's okay," he tried to sooth him, pushing his hair off his face.  
He swallowed a sob, his cheeks red and hot.  
"You're a novice, Cullen," I teased, smiling before frantically waving the flight attendant over.  
She reluctantly came. "How can I help you, miss?"  
"Our son desperately needs to use the bathroom. I think he has food-poisoning," I told her, reaching over to rub Garrett's leg.  
She frowned. "You aren't allowed to get up."  
"It's either that or the seat," I threatened.  
She sighed, watching him. Thankfully, he was agitated enough to actually look sick, and the fact he'd been throwing up helped as well. "Fine. But be quick."  
I grinned, triumphant, and Carlisle ripped off Garrett's seat belt.

The attendant was still glaring when they sat down again.  
"You're amazing," Carlisle laughed, squeezing my hand.  
"Better now, sweetie?" I asked Garrett, leaning against Carlisle and resting my head on his shoulder.  
He nodded, content now to watch the clouds out the window.  
His arm slid around me waist. "…You know, I kind of liked the sound of _our_ son…" 


	25. Chapter 25

**6'oclock on the dot ;)**

***Is straining brain to think of things that may be in a hotel for Garrett to do* **should have planned better* ALSO I GOT NEW GLASSES**

**Which is exciting**

**For me.**

**And no one else really.**

**Do hotels have playgrounds? *googles hotel features* **

**Siobhan POV**

The hotel room was almost unbearably exciting for Garrett. Clutching Oliver, he jumped on each of the beds, opening up the closets and going through all the draws and turning the shower off and on. However that back-fired. Apparently when you are three, you don't think about the relationship between taps and water, so once he pulled the handle, he found himself thoroughly drenched.  
He yelped immediately, springing back and slipping on the tiles. "Cold!" he whined as I caught him, stopping him from hitting the ground.  
"Yes, it is," I chuckled, trying to push his wet hair off his face. "Come, let's get you dry before your mother freaks out."  
He was non-compliant as I pulled his clothes off him, and slithered out of my arms as soon as he was shirtless, running into the hallway, giggling.  
"Where are you clothes, Garrett?" I heard Carlisle asked as he came into the room, immediately picking up the child.  
"The tap squirted me," he huffed.  
He laughed and I smiled at the sound. "Oh well, you do need to bathe."  
"NO!" he yelped, twisting to get down. "Not bath time! No! No! No!"  
Carlisle was near hysterical laughing at his outburst now. Unbeknownst to him, I was laughing at him, not at Garrett. "Well…how about we dump you in a bowl full of chlorine?"  
Garrett stopped his screaming instantly, watching him quizzically. "What?"  
He chuckled again. "Do you want to go swimming? We have a pool downstairs."  
He nodded excitedly, glancing at me as if to ask permission.  
"Knock yourself out," I laughed, liking the thought of Carlisle having to get in the water with him more than I should.

Except he didn't get in the damn water. Because there was a kiddy-pool. Instead he sat on the side of the pool with me and watched while Garrett had the time of his life.  
"Do you think he's hungry yet?" he asked after a while, threading his fingers through mine.  
"I'm hungry," I offered, but Carlisle was too innocent to get the reference.  
"I don't know how we're going to get him out. I mean, he's having so much fun I highly doubt he's going to come when we tell him to…"  
"I don't know how _I'm_ going to get _you_ out, either. You don't exactly come when I tell you to."  
"I always come when you call me," he argued, completely oblivious. I was going to have to buy a shirt with 'have sex with me' on the front.  
"Not the way I want you to," I muttered under my breath.  
"What?" he looked confused.  
"Nothing. Go get your child," I laughed, kissing the back of our fingers.  
He sighed and stood up, going over to the side of the pool. "Garrett, come here, buddy, come have dinner."  
He giggled and shook his head, sitting in the water so he was almost fully submerged.  
"Come on, you can have ice cream," he reasoned.  
"Nope." He smiled innocently, crawling into the middle of the pool.  
"You can stay up later," he tried, getting desperate now.  
"Can I have dinner in the pool?" he asked.  
"Ahh…only if you come here."  
"Liar!" Garrett announced. "I'll get out if you get in."  
"No. You come here and be good."  
"Come in the water, Carlisle!" he laughed, hitting his hands on the surface of the water so it sprayed up. He was too far away for it to actually reach him, but Carlisle cringed anyway. "Come swimming."  
I couldn't help myself. It was far too inviting. As quietly as I could, I snuck up behind him, silently willing Garrett not to say anything. Focused on the toddler, Carlisle didn't notice me, not until I 'accidently' pushed him forward.  
"Siobhan," he whined, looking up at me from the water, trying to hide laughter.  
"Carlisle!" Garrett cried, jumping on him in joy.  
Carlisle allowed himself to be pushed under, only just avoiding swallowing water. "Okay, now I'm wet. Come and get dinner, Garrett, you can come back tomorrow."  
"Can we come back today? At night time?"  
"We'll see," I chuckled. "Come now, both of you out of the pool."  
Carlisle scooped him up and brought him over to me, finally getting him on dry ground.  
"You're pretty cute all wet," I teased as we walked back.  
He laughed and lent over to kiss me. "You're pretty cute all the time."  
"And you taste like chlorine," I giggled.  
"I'm going to taste like chlorine for the next month."  
"I don't mind." I kissed him again and he wrapped his arms around me, effectively soaking my clothing. "Jerk."  
"Love you," he laughed, keeping his arm around my waist.  
"Ew," Garrett grumbled before I could reply.

Bed time didn't go down well at all. Garrett started crying for Kate immediately after he'd eaten. I couldn't do anything but watch as he clung to Carlisle – he wouldn't let me near him. If I even moved toward them his cries became almost unbearable.  
"It's okay, Garrett, it's alright," Carlisle murmured, hugging him tightly. He was lying on the bed with him, as he had been for the past two hours.  
"Katie," he sobbed desperately, sucking on his sleeve. "Miss Katie…"  
"Do you want to go home?" he asked him, sliding him upright.  
"N-no…" he shook his head. "J-just miss her…"  
"Do you want to call her?"  
"No. I want to stay with you." He pulled himself closer, burying his face in his shoulder.  
"Okay. How about we go somewhere fun tomorrow?"  
He sniffed and wiped his face. "Yes please."  
"You're so cute. I love you," he told him, wrapping them both in the blanket and lying back, holding the child against him.  
Exhausted from crying, he quickly fell asleep.

"This one!" Garrett squealed, running ahead of us toward another ride. This one rocked back and forth in wide swings, imitating the motion of a ship but at an incredibly exaggerated level. Like a ship on steroids.  
Sure enough, Carlisle followed him willingly, waiting in line with the hyper toddler. To me it didn't look much fun, just rocking back and forth, but to a three year old I suppose it was magic.  
By the time they got off, however, I wasn't so sure. Garrett was happy, skipping back to me and jumping into my arms, babbling about how exciting it was. Carlisle, on the other hand, was a little pale, keeping his arms folding across his stomach.  
"You okay?" I teased, watching him.  
"Can vampires get motion sickness?" he mumbled, swallowing hard.  
"I don't know. You tell me? How's your stomach?"  
"Not funny. W-where are we going now, Garrett?" He looked faintly scared of what he might suggest.  
"How about we put you on the bungee, hmm?" I asked him, messing up his hair.  
That was it. His mind was made up. Attached to a harness and jumping on a trampoline he would go; flying into the air was fun. I sat on a bench with Carlisle, who quickly lent forwards, resting his head in his hands.  
"You're okay," I murmured, running my hand up and down his back. "You aren't allowed to be sick here, anyway. You cant spew blood in a human environment."  
"I know," he lent into my side, relaxing again after about ten minutes.  
Garrett spent at least an hour on the bungee, running back to the end of the line as soon as he was taken off it. It was cute to watch; he was so overly excited just to be propelled into the air and sail back down again. Eventually he tired of it, wandering back over to us. So then we went on the bumper cars. And the Ferris wheel. And a kid-friendly rollercoaster. And a boat ride. And everything else we could find that a three year old was allowed to do. On any ride that Garrett didn't insist Carlisle hold his hand on, Carlisle filmed on his phone.  
"What are you doing? You really are his mother," I teased, laughing at him.  
He just shook his head. "As soon as we get the old Garrett back, I'm going to give him so much shit for this."  
"You love him too much for that," I giggled.  
"Really? Baby Garrett is cute and everything, but adult Garrett is an asshole. I have no boundaries with him." He was laughing now too.  
"He's your best friend."  
"And I love him. But that doesn't mean he's not a jerk. I'm sure he thinks I'm a jerk too, and to be honest he would be right."  
I rolled my eyes, suddenly remembering a conversation between them just before the incident.

"_Can I have a hug?" Garrett teased, wrapping his arms around Carlisle as he came in the door and trapping him in a sort of head lock.  
"No. Shove it up your ass," he quipped, twisting to get free.  
"Aww, you love me," he whined, trying to disrupt his friend's clothing as much as possible.  
"You want to bet on that, Garrett?"  
"You know you want to suck my dick." They were both laughing now, and Esme was trying not to listen.  
"It's not your dick I want to suck. Bend over, faggot."  
At that point Garrett let him go, smirking, and he fell on the floor. "Really? You _really_ want to go there? Do you even know the first thing about gay sex?"  
"I lived with you. Of course I do."  
"Jerk," he chuckled as Tanya disrupted their conversation, taking Carlisle away before he ended up divorced._

"Had enough yet, Garrett?" Carlisle asked the toddler, picking him up.  
Sufficiently exhausted, he nodded, resting his head on his shoulder.  
"Thank god," he murmured under his breath. "Let's go home then, yes?"

**Any ideas for other stuff he could do? I'm struggling. (Has anyone been to France because that would be really helpful)**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I wasn't sure if I would get a chance to put this up tomorrow because I'm going to be busy, so I'll put it up tonight (: Have a good Friday!**

**Siobhan POV**

"What do you want for dinner?" I asked Garrett, trying to settle him on my knee. He wasn't having it. Not one bit.  
"That one!" he pointed at one of the signs, jumping up.  
"No, you are not having ice cream for dinner," I scolded, shaking my head. The down side of having a child; no alone time with the boyfriend. It was driving me crazy and not helping my mood at all. To make it worse, the boyfriend didn't seem to care at all; all his attention was focused on Garrett. _Was I really jealous of a three year old? Jesus Christ._  
"Aww, come on, Siobhan. Don't be mean. He's only a baby." Carlisle stole him, playfully hugging him and making Garrett giggle.  
I rolled my eyes.  
"We'll get you ice cream, don't worry. We wont tell mummy Siobhan," he whispered.  
"Call me 'mummy Siobhan' again, Carlisle Cullen, and I will throw you off the balcony instead of the pool next time," I threatened.  
"Would that mean…" He swallowed to hide a smile and I braced myself for the pun. "Does that mean I would be falling for you?"  
"Carlisle," I groaned, covering my face.  
He just laughed, dodging my hand as I tried to push him away.  
Garrett put his hand over his mouth to try and smother his laughter. "Does she bite?" he whispered to him, but being so little it was more like whisper-yelling.  
"She'll only bite me," he promised, unable to resist laughing now.  
I tried my best to ignore him, unable to find the situation funny.  
"Balloon!" he shrieked, pointing across the room to a balloon stand and a man selling brightly coloured balloons to a couple of children.  
Carlisle handed him a coin, ushering him in that direction. "Go and get one, then."  
"By myself…" he asked skeptically.  
"Yep. You're a big kid now."  
"Do big kids get to have ice cream for dinner?"  
"Sure."  
With that Garrett ran off toward the man with a sense of purpose, a big smile on his face.  
Carlisle leant over, his lips close to my ear and his breath on my neck. "You know, the elevator takes three minutes to get from the bottom floor to our room."  
Did he just- did he just suggest what I thought?  
He sat back and ignored the shock on my face, sliding his fingers into mine.  
"Not fair," I hissed, squeezing his hand. "Garrett is too close…"  
"Whatever do you mean?" he teased, smiling innocently.  
"You're such a jerk," I laughed, pushing him again.  
Before he could respond, Garrett ran back holding a blue balloon tied to a string. Giggling, he climbed back onto Carlisle's knee, hugging him happily and thanking him.  
My mind wandered as the two of the carried on with their chatter and eventually I found a way to amuse myself. I ran my hand down Carlisle's back, sliding it up under his shirt just above his belt. He didn't immediately react, so I slid closer to him, pushing my fingers into his front pocket on the pretence of grabbing his phone. It was hard to repress a smile when his speech faltered, and the concentration he'd placed on Garrett broke momentarily. I leant my head on his shoulder, placing a kiss on his neck. He nervously bit his lip, glancing at me before pointing something out to Garrett. 'I'll only bite you, hmm?" I whispered so the toddler wouldn't over hear, letting my teeth graze over his skin. I pulled his phone out of his pocket, but kept my hand there, subtly tracing circles against his thigh.  
"S-Siobhan, what are you d-doing?" he stammered, swallowing thickly.  
"Nothing, love," I teased, nudging him with my shoulder.  
"Garrett…how about we go and get you that ice cream now, huh?"  
"You're no fun." I ran my finger down the seam of his jeans and he stood abruptly, grabbing Garrett while I tried not to laugh. "What's wrong, Carlisle?"  
His face flushed and he tried to glare at me. "Play fair."  
"Come sit down again," I suggested, smirking.  
"Ice cream!" Garrett cried, pointing to the counter again.  
"Yes, Garrett," he agreed, stumbling forward and obviously distracted.  
All I could do was laugh as he walked away; I had got to him. "Come back, Carlisle, I miss you," I teased, knowing he would over hear even though he was away from me.  
He caught my eye and smiled, shaking his head. "Not fair," he told me again.

I had never seen a child so happy. Once would think a bowl full of white and pink frozen goo meant the world. He grinned the whole time he was eating. "Carlisle? Does this one grow a tree as well?" he asked, his mouth full of ice cream.  
"Ahh…no. Not this one. This one comes from…cows. And a factory." He watched him with amusement.  
"Not meat?" he checked.  
"Nope. Dairy product."  
"Okay." He fell silent. Suddenly he yelped, dropping his spoon and starting to cry.  
"Garrett, shh, come on, buddy, I told you not to bite it," Carlisle chuckled, pulling him onto his knee. "It's okay, it's just brain freeze." He ran his hand up and down his back to try and calm him.  
"It- It b-bit me!" Garrett whined, rubbing his eyes. "H-hurting!"  
"Siobhan, can you get a cup of warm water please?" he asked softly.  
I nodded and went to fetch it.  
"Poisonous!" he wailed. "It hurts, Carlisle!"  
"I know, it's just because it's cold, Garrett. It's okay," he assured him, taking the cup off me with a smile. "Here, drink this slowly, alright? It will help."  
Garrett did as he'd said; slowly becoming more and more relaxed and his sobs subsided.  
"Better?" he asked.  
He nodded, glaring at the bowl.  
"Do you want to finish eating?"  
"Poisonous," he grumbled, unimpressed.  
"No it's not, you just ate it too fast," he chided.  
"You eat it then," he huffed, scowling.  
Carlisle cringed slightly and hesitantly took a mouthful, faking a smile. "See? There is nothing wrong with it. Will you eat it now?"  
"No. It bit me."  
"I'll make him something," I told him, seeing the look of defeat on Carlisle's face.  
"What do we say, Garrett?"  
Garrett just looked at him, confused.  
Carlisle rolled his eyes. "What on earth has Kate been teaching you? Say thank you, mummy Siobhan."  
"Thank you mummy Siobhan," he repeated obediently.  
I sighed and ignored it, knowing I wouldn't win this one. Besides, it _was_ sort of adorable.

"Me and Garrett are going for a walk," he told me. We'd only been back at our room for an hour but Carlisle had tried his best not to sit next to me again, much to my amusement.  
"Am I not invited?"  
He laughed. "Do you want to come on a three year old's expedition?"  
"Point taken. Have fun," I snickered, shaking my head.  
"Lead the way, Garrett." He nudged him out into the hallway and Garrett took off running, squealing as he went.

Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door. Assuming it was room cleaning, I opened it, only to find myself pinned to a wall by Carlisle. I pulled him closer as he kissed me, barely registering that Garrett was probably less than three feet away.  
"Carlisle…Garrett," I warned, pulling away to get him to focus.  
"He's watching a movie with some other kids. Like a holiday group or something, I don't know," he explained.  
"He let you leave him there?"  
"He saw the poster and wanted to go. They're watching Finding Nemo."  
"Why the change in attitude?" I asked, thinking of how badly he usually reacted when he had to be left on his own.  
"Because Kate's not smothering him." He pressed his lips against mine again. "We should go for a walk. Do you want to?"  
"Seriously? _That_ is what you want to do with our alone time? Go for a walk?" I laughed.  
He ran toward the elevator, faster than he should of in a human environment. "Three minutes," he teased.  
"Asshole," I laughed, chasing him, slamming him against the metal as the door closed. "Three minutes indeed."

Sure enough, three minutes later our clothes were dishevelled, our hair messy, and we both were grinning like idiots.  
"We're going to check on Garrett, aren't we?" I asked as we made our way across the ground floor.  
"You bet."  
"He's probably fine," I teased.  
"Yes, but I don't want to traumatise him. He said he wanted to go, but you know what happened when we tried to get him to go to preschool." He shushed me as we came to a door, quietly slipping inside. Sure enough, there were at least thirty kids in there, all about Garrett's age, focused on the obnoxiously orange clown fish on a giant screen, each one settled on a bean bag. Carlisle let out a breath I didn't know he'd been holding.  
"I think you're more nervous about this than he was," I murmured, squeezing his hand.  
"I just had to know. You know, just in case he got scared."  
On the way out we walked past a group of other people who I assumed to be the parents of the children, drinking and playing card games involving more booze and bets of money.  
"Everyone who sees us is totally going to know I just fucked you in an elevator, right?" I giggled.  
"What an interesting choice of language, Siobhan." He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, smiling.  
"Three minutes back up?" I suggested.  
He just laughed, not giving me a straight answer.


	27. Chapter 27

**Oh look it's Thursday. Oops. **

Although when I mentioned going to the mall both of the boys whined, once we got there, it was only Carlisle complaining. Garrett, on the other hand, had so much enthusiasm for the event that it was a little frightening. Everything was exciting and new and impossible not to touch even though Carlisle warned him several times.  
"Traitor," he grumbled under his breath as Garrett skipped along beside me into the next shop.  
"He's allowed to like shopping, Carlisle," I teased, glancing back at him while he watched the toddle disappear under the clothing rack.  
"Maybe he's gay."  
I snickered and shook my head at him. "He's two."  
"He's three."  
"Boo!" Garrett popped out in front of him suddenly, squealing in delight as Carlisle picked him up.  
"Hungry?" he chuckled, unable to resist smiling as he hugged him.  
"Yes!" He threw his arms around his neck, pulling himself closer.  
"How about you and me go to the food hall, and mummy Siobhan can finish looking for clothes?"  
"Okay."  
With that they were gone.

I heard them before I saw them. Garrett was loud and boisterous and I was too scared to ask what Carlisle had fed him.  
"Don't run, Garrett! I'll lose you," Carlisle laughed, scooping him up again as they came into sight. He sat him on the counter in front of me. "Hold this."  
Confused, I wrapped my arms around him, keeping him steady. "What'd you give him?" I giggled as Garrett squirmed, looking up at the ceiling completely fascinated by the brightly coloured balls hanging from the roof. I hadn't realised it before we came out, but Christmas was soon.  
"In the future, remind me never to give a little kid coke." He hid a smile, flicking his credit card through the machine before I realised what he was doing.  
"Carlisle!" I scolded, shaking my head at him.  
"You're in trouble," Garrett accused, agreeing with me. "Carlisle's naughty, mummy Siobhan."  
Carlisle snickered at the nickname. "We're dating, aren't we? And it's not like I can buy you dinner." He kissed my cheek as I set Garrett on the floor. "I'm going to the bookshop. I'll be back soon."  
I watched him retreat. "You're in so much trouble when we get home," I muttered under my breath but couldn't help smiling.  
"Aww, he's sweet," the shop attendant giggled, handing me the receipt. "So is your little boy."  
"Very," I agreed.  
"Husband?" she asked, leaning over the counter to speak to me.  
"No, not yet." I shook my head ruefully. "We haven't been dating all that long, really. But hopefully one day." I glanced around in search of Garrett, only to find he wasn't with me. He must have gone with Carlisle. "I'd better go find them before they get into trouble." Saying goodbye, I made my way over to the bookshop, finding the boyfriend in question easily.  
He glanced up at me, his smile fading almost instantly. "Where's Garrett?"  
My stomach dropped. "I thought he was with you."  
He shook his head. "Last time I saw him he was on the counter…" A look of absolute panic washed over him and for a moment I wondered if he was going to be sick. "We have to- where would he go? What if he tried to follow me and got lost- what if somebody took him?"  
I could see each scenario playing out in his head as he became more and more anxious each second. I kissed him quickly, trying to interrupt his train of thought, and held his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "We'll find him, Carlisle, he can't have gone far. Don't panic yet, okay?" I took his hand pulled him about half way toward the other shop.  
"Kate's going to kill me…" he whispered, quickly scanning the room for him.  
"No she wont. We're going to find him."  
He nodded, desperately trying to believe me, while I tried to focus on where he might be. There were too many heartbeats, and suddenly I realised this was going to be nowhere near as easy as losing him in a house full of vampires. Even his scent was distorted by all the other humans. "Found him," Carlisle said suddenly, quickly going back into the shop I had come from.  
"Slow down, Carlisle," I warned, biting my lip as I forced myself to walk normally. "Humans, remember?"  
"I really don't care right now," he admitted. When I knotted my fingers through his, I could feel how much his hands trembled.  
"You might care when Aro finds out." I caught up to him and wrapped my arm around his waist, forcing him to move at the same pace as me. How Carlisle located him so easily I will never know but as he made a beeline for the child his nerves didn't calm at all.  
"Garrett!" he hugged him tightly, picking him up and catching him off guard.  
"Look, Carlisle! Nemo! Nemo is in the shop!" He pointed happily to a toy fish.  
"Calm down, Carlisle, you've found him now," I soothed, rubbing my hand up and down his back as I watched him struggle for composure.  
"Don't wander off, okay? Never do that again. You scared the living shit out of me," he scolded, sounding too worried for the growling to have any effect on Garrett.  
"What's a living shit?" he asked, glancing up at Carlisle.  
Carlisle cursed again. "Don't repeat that, okay? You're not supposed to say things like that. It's bad."  
I giggled at the look of confusion on Garrett's face. "But you said it."  
"That's different. I'm an adult."  
"When I'm an adult can I say living shit?" he asked.  
"Sure, but not until then."  
He nodded, satisfied with that. "Can we go to the next one now?" he tried to look around the corner at the next shop, but as the colour drained from Carlisle's face and he tightened his grip on him I knew that he'd had enough.  
"I think we should go home now, Garrett. You can have a nap," I told him, leading them both toward the door.  
"I don't want a nap," he whined, crossing his arms.  
"We'll see about that," I chuckled, sliding my fingers into Carlisle's. "Breathe, sweetie. Everything is okay now."  
He nodded, still not quite ready to relax yet.

"He wasn't scared, Carlisle. He is fine," I chided, sitting next to him on the spare bed as he watched Garrett sleep from across the room.  
"I know."  
"Then what's the matter?" Leaning my head against his shoulder, I kissed the base of his neck, provoking a smile.  
"I'm not ready to not be scared yet…" he admitted, squeezing my hand. "What if…what if we hadn't found him in time and…What if he was gone?"  
"He's not gone though. Nothing happened. The only one still worried about this is you, now just relax, okay? Everything is fine."  
"I know, I just…" He glanced over at me, apology written all over his face.  
"It's alright, honey." I pushed him back, holding him down against the bed as I brought our lips together.  
"Garrett- Garrett is…"  
"We've kissed in front of him plenty of times," I teased, pulling myself closer.  
He rolled his eyes. "Sure, because kissing is all you had in mind."  
"What else might I do, Carlisle?" I slid my hands under the edge of his shirt.  
"Okay, time out. I'm not going through his again," he laughed, struggling away from me.  
I rolled onto my back, hooking my fingers through the belt loops of his jeans. "And where do are you think you're going?"  
He whined quietly, glancing at the toddler. "Don't do this…"  
"Do what, love?" I jerked him back to me, wrapping my arms around his waist and sliding my fingers into his pockets. "I wouldn't make you do anything you don't want to."  
"You don't play fair."  
"No girl plays fair, Carlisle Cullen. You should know that by now." Undoing his belt was the easy part. Getting him to agree to it, on the other hand, was not.  
"Garrett's-"  
"Asleep. And too young to know what is going on." I was still teasing him, but I wasn't sure whether he knew that anymore.  
"Siobhan-"  
"You're cute when you're turned on and trying to deny it."  
"Don't, ah, don't do this…"  
I couldn't help but giggle as his train of thought faltered. "I believe there is another room next to this one."  
"I promised Alistair I would call him." He jumped away from me, smiling teasingly at my disappointed expression.  
"I see how it is. You'd rather talk to Alistair than have me pay you back for that little favour this afternoon."  
"Definitely. Especially when Garrett is metres away from us." He disappeared out the front door.  
_Damn._


	28. Chapter 28

**ITS STILL FRIDAY FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS DON'T SHOOT! :D**

**Also its exam time now so I cant promise regular updates anymore. I'm just writing what I feel the need to and sometimes baby Garrett isn't it. Also I'm thinking of adulting him again pretty soon. Not yet. But soon.**

**Siobhan POV**

The flight back home was uneventful. Garrett slept most of the way seeming as it was night anyway, remaining curled up on Carlisle's lap for ninety per cent of the journey. Only once did he complain of being hungry but a cup of custard settled that.

"Katie!" He yelped, seeing her as she opened the door. Giggling, he charged up the path toward her outstretched arms. "It was so cool! We-" He cut himself off suddenly as he hit the ground, everyone wincing at the sound only flesh on concrete could make.  
I stopped breathing as the smell of blood saturated the air and Kate backed away slowly, her hand over her nose and mouth to block out the smell. Even Carlisle drew away a bit.  
There was three seconds of silence before Garrett started to cry, not even attempting to pick himself up, frozen against the concrete. 

**Kate POV**

Cutting off any air going into my lungs, there was nothing I could do but watch my Garrett fall. Nobody moved until he screamed, and then only Carlisle was able to go close to him, gently lifting him off the ground. Immediately it as obvious where the impossibly sweet scent that drenched the air came from; his hands and knees were grated raw from the concrete, along with a scratch on the side of his face.  
"Carlisle…" I said, using up what little air supply I had, pleading with him to tell me what to do.  
He glanced up, letting Garrett cling to him despite the fact he was getting blood everywhere. "Do you have a first aid kit?" he asked, looking surprisingly uncomfortable, mostly holding his breath as well. Siobhan hadn't moved an inch.  
I nodded, rushing in the house to find one. When I found them again, he had sat Garrett on the bench, using a sink full of warm water to clean the injuries.  
My little one was crying hysterically, not really wanting Carlisle to touch him with the cloth. His sucked on his fingers, sort of distorting the sound, and his face was red and hot.  
"Here, honey, suck on this, okay?" Siobhan chided, gently pulling his hand away and putting a lollypop in his mouth, passing him Oliver. "I know its sore, we'll make it better." She ran her fingers through his hair, kissing his forehead.  
I swallowed hard. _They were perfect together._

By the end of it he was practically covered in plasters and still snivelling an hour later. Still cuddled into Carlisle as he tried to soothe him.  
"He missed you, Kate," Carlisle told me, unable to help smiling as Garrett stood and wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face in his shoulder.  
"I think he wants to go to bed," I told him instead, a little scared he was going to hand him to me while he still smelt so beautifully sweet.  
"Can you tuck me in, Katie?" he asked, sniffing and glancing back at me.  
"Of course I can, sweetie," I smiled as he took him upstairs. "Your boyfriend is such a liar," I chuckled to Siobhan once they were.  
She rolled her eyes. "He did miss you. He cried for you the first night we got there and wouldn't let me anywhere near him."  
I wasn't sure if that made me feel better or worse, especially because of what I was going to ask next. "So um…when do you and Carlisle plan on going back home?"  
Her smile started to fall. "I don't, ah, we haven't talked about it. I mean, I don't even know if he's coming with me…"  
"Of course he's going with you. I've seen the way he looks at you; he adores you." I smiled at the thought of it. They were cute.  
"Yeah, well…he adores Garrett more…" she sighed, looking away.  
"…I kind of wanted to talk to you about that…How would you feel about…" I bit my lip, trying to think of a way to ask. "Garrett…Garrett needs a mother and I can't be that for him. Aside from the fact I would be a useless mother, I'm his mate and…I can't raise him and then…" I looked down. "I-I wanted to know if maybe you might want to…"  
She hugged me suddenly. "Kate, of course I will do that. Don't be silly."  
I choked back a sob, nodding even though I wanted to scream. "Thank you…thank you so much…"  
She kissed my cheek, rubbing my shoulders. "Go say goodnight to him before he gets upset."  
I nodded and slowly got up, running up to our room. "Goodnight, Garrett, sweetie." I called from the doorway.  
He held up his arms, reaching for me.  
I relented and went to him, wrapping my arms around him and picking him up. "I love you, honey."  
"Love you too, Katie," he giggled, hiding his face in my hair.  
I kissed his forehead, letting him snuggle into me. "How would you feel about going to stay with Carlisle and Siobhan, love?" I glanced up when Carlisle managed to breathe wrong and choked on the air in his throat, watching as the colour slowly drained from his face. I was surprised; I thought he would love that.  
Garrett's smile faltered a little. "…And you'll come as well?"  
"No, I would stay here," I explained carefully, purposefully ignoring Carlisle's blatantly startled expression.  
"B-but I would miss you," he sniffed, wiping his face with his sleeve as the tears started to fall. "B-but I l-love you, Katie, and- and- I don't want to leave you and you'll be gone forever and-" he was sobbing hysterically now, almost to the point of gagging, and he curled into himself while he cried, tangling his limbs in the blankets. "Don't take me away Katie," he begged.  
"Shh, come here, baby." I sat on the bed next to him, pulling him onto my lap and hugging him as tightly as I could without hurting him. "I wouldn't be gone forever, little one. You'd just be going on a…holiday with Carlisle and Siobhan for a little while. I could still talk to you on the phone, and I'll come and visit, I promise." I planted kisses all of his face and he eventually smiled again, contemplating my words.  
"…With Carlisle?" He glanced over my shoulder at him. Carlisle still hadn't moved; either unwilling or incapable.  
I nodded and his smile grew a little.  
"Like a sleepover?"  
"Exactly."  
He nodded vigorously. "Yes!...But I can still see you, right..?"  
"Of course."  
His face lit up and he scrambled off my knee, rushing across the bed to Carlisle who was still in shock. "I can come home with you and mummy Siobhan!" he yelped, throwing his arms around his waist.  
Carlisle smiled but it seemed forced as he picked him up. "Kate, I'm not a parent," he whispered to me, quietly so Garrett wouldn't overhear. "I don't know what I'm doing."  
I smirked. "I'm sure mummy Siobhan knows."  
He rolled his eyes. "Sorry. I started that."  
"I don't care, it's sweet," I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. In the short time I had been talking to him, Garrett had curled up with his head on his shoulder, having fallen asleep.

The next morning, we were all sitting on the deck when Eleazar came out wearing the world's biggest smile. "You want to see something cool, buddy?" he asked, squatting down to speak to Garrett.  
He nodded eagerly, his eyes lighting up.  
"Okay, here, watch." He pulled a little tube out of his pocket and unscrewed the top, waving the stick inside it.  
He watched in awe as the bubbled floated down, letting out a horrified squeaked when they popped on hitting the deck.  
Carlisle laughed softly and when I turned to face him he was filming Garrett on his phone, biting back a smile.  
"Adult Garrett is going to get a whole lot of shit," Siobhan whispered to me in explanation, grinning.  
Garrett giggled and grabbed one of them, oblivious to our conversation. On getting the soapy liquid all over his hands, he cautiously licked his fingers, recoiling at the taste of it. "Yucky!" he announced with a grimace. "Sticky!" he jumped to his feet, grinning at Eleazar.  
"Oh no. No you don't. These are clean pants, Mr," he laughed nervously, backing away.  
Giggling, he charged at him.  
Carmen's husband pretended to run, keeping up a pace he would obviously be caught at. After a few minutes of tag, he 'tripped' and fell on the ground, letting Garrett jump all over him. He tickled him relentlessly, making him shriek and laugh, squirming to get away. As my little one tried to take off again, Eleazar sat up and captured him, hugging him and glancing up at me. "I'm going to miss this kid, Kate."  
"I know. I'll miss him too."


	29. Chapter 29

**Annnnd the last chapter…which was horribly rushed…because I'm a useless piece of shit and got bored ten chapters ago and needed a fast way to get him back…oops…I'm sorry all of you who have read this far…**

**I'm marking this story as completed but I might add a chapter here and there if I feel the need. I have a few ideas for 'milestones' that kids reach that might be kind of cute…maybe…we'll see. (: **

**Siobhan POV**

"…What is it..?" Garrett squeaked, shoving Carlisle's hand back as he tried to approach him with the needle, the tears overflowing.  
"Something that's going to make you feel better. Can you be brave for me?"  
We'd been in Ireland for four days, but over three of them Garrett had managed to develop a sinus infection, which Carlisle assured both the toddler and I that it could be fixed with one injection, as long as it was done sooner rather than later. The alternative was forcing massive pills down Garrett's throat three times a day, which wasn't appealing to anyone. So the needle it was.  
"D-don't w-want to, Carlisle!" he cried, trying to reach for him and keep clear of the object he was holding.  
"I know, and I'm sorry, but it's nicer than what has to happen otherwise," he promised, hugging him before setting him on my knee. "Can you try and keep him still?" he asked me apologetically.  
I nodded and ignored Garrett's frantic screams as Carlisle slid the needle under his skin. Stupidly enough, it was me that he hated for it, demanding that Carlisle pick him up immediately after it was over.

Finally, at 3am – _six_ hours after he's started crying - his sobs turned into sniffles and he let himself be comforted.  
"Carlisle…" he mumbled after a few minutes of silence. "Tummy feels funny…"  
"What kind of funny?" he asked quietly, pulling him up so he was sitting.  
Garrett pressed his hands against his stomach, looking uncomfortable but not crying anymore. "Get sick funny…"  
Carlisle cursed and stood abruptly, taking him into the kitchen and setting him on the bench. "Try having a drink, okay? It won't be as bad on your throat if you're sick then." He handed him a glass, coaxing him into swallowing the water.  
"I don't want to throw up," he grumbled, doing as he was told anyway.  
"You have no choice in the matter, Garrett." To me it seemed like a bit of a dumb thing to tell a three year old, but Garrett didn't seem to care. Sure enough, he threw up a couple of seconds later. Still no crying.  
"I don't like it," he whined, glancing up at Carlisle who for some unknown reason was grinning like an idiot.  
"Trust me, I don't think it either."  
"You're not even the one being sick! You don't get to complain!" he snapped at him, pulling a face.  
"No, but I have to clean up after you which is almost as bad." He was laughing now, much to Garrett's unamusement.  
"You suck."  
"Do you want to go to bed, Garrett? I think it might be best that you're lying down right now."  
He nodded, reaching to be picked up, one hand in his mouth. "Stay with me."  
"I thought I sucked?" he teased, hugging him anyway.  
"You're such a dick."  
I almost choked I was laughing so hard, and Carlisle was fighting it too. Garrett was not happy.  
"God, I've missed you. Bed time now. We don't need all this happening while you're standing up."  
"What happening?"  
"You'll see." He took him away and I trailed up the stairs after them.

"He's colder," Carlisle whispered to me, still smiling. "Like a lot colder."  
"You mean like…" I swallowed hard.  
"Like us. Like a vampire should be. And his heart is slower."  
"Don't freak out or anything, but he's not going to die, is he?" I asked carefully.  
He shook his head. "The Volturi will have to kill me over an immortal child before that happens. I think the anti-biotic I gave him changed something…"  
"Good something or a bad something?"  
He shrugged, biting his lip as he watched the sleeping toddler. "I don't know."  
"I'm going to check on Maggie. You two have fun." I abandoned him, going back down the stairs.  
"Traitor. Leave me with the vomiting child, then," he laughed quietly.  
I rolled my eyes. "You know I love you."

**Garrett POV**

Holy shit my head hurt. Come to think of it, my whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Someone ran their hand down my back through the blanket, providing a little bit of comfort which I seemed to crave – Kate, I assumed. But why wasn't she in bed with me? _How the fuck did I end up in bed in the first place?_  
"Katie…I feel like shit," I mumbled against the pillow.  
"Totally not Kate."  
"Why are you here?" I must have sounded put out as I sat up abruptly, because Carlisle stood up, faking disappointment.  
"Fine. I'll go then." He was teasing me, I knew, but I still felt bad.  
"No- that's not what I meant. Come back…" I was suddenly afraid without knowing why. "Carlisle…"  
"Here, get dressed." He threw some clothes at me, grinning.  
"Jerk," I grumbled before thinking about it further. "Wait, why am I naked in bed and you're not?"  
"You want me naked in bed, Garrett?" he laughed, smirking at me.  
I glared at him and quickly got dressed. "Where's Kate?" As soon as I said it I realised I had absolutely no idea where I actually was. Again fear hit me. "Where am I?" To my annoyance, my voice shook.  
He sat next to me again, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. "You're in Ireland."  
"Carlisle I don't remember- I cant- help…" I panicked, hugging him back.  
"You're okay. You've just…had an interesting year or so," he explained, offering a slightly unsure smile.  
"W-where's Kate?"  
"She's in Denali. You're here with me and Siobhan."  
"What's happening?" I leant against him further, kind of hoping if I pushed him enough he might lie on the bed with me.  
"I'm not…I'm not sure…"  
"Carlisle," I whined, effectively pushing him sideways and cuddling into him. Good god my body hurt.  
"You were…You were three yesterday, Garrett." He failed to hide a smile.  
"Very funny, dickhead. I'm scared. Don't mess with me right now…"  
"I'm serious. Look," he pulled his phone out of his pocket, pulling up a video.  
"What the fuck?"  
He laughed at my expression, unable to help it. "I know you're confused – so is everyone else…What's the last thing you remember?"  
I bit my lip, trying to think back. "I went hunting Eleazar…and there was another vampire and he…I don't know, it just hurt and then Eleazar was picking me up and now I'm here with you, previously without clothes on…wait. You said a year. _A year?!_"  
"Calm down. You're okay-"  
"I am most defiantly not okay! You cant tell me I was a fucking child for a fucking year and expect me to be okay with it!" I shrieked.  
He sighed, squeezing me a little too tightly, but I couldn't complain. "That vampire, he injected you with something that changed you…and then yesterday I injected you with something else that changed you back…"  
"Into a confused, naked adult, right?"  
"That would be correct, yes," he laughed, nudging me with his shoulder. "I'm glad to have you back…I missed you. I mean, you were cute and everything as a child, but you wanted to cuddle constantly and you were too polite; I missed being call a jerk all the time."  
"…I love you. But if you ever tell anyone I said that I'll deny it. Jerk."  
"Oh, don't worry. You've told me that plenty. Usually with an audience. And you chose me over Kate." He smirked triumphantly and I hit him lightly.  
"Sure I did. I don't like you that much," I retorted sarcastically.  
Carlisle just laughed, handing me his phone. "Here, call her."  
"I miss her," I mumbled, looking down.  
"Call her, idiot," he repeated, standing and leaving me alone.

It seemed to ring forever and I found myself becoming more and more agitated, absolutely desperate to hear her voice.  
"Carlisle, what's wrong?" she asked as she answered.  
I swallowed the lump in my throat, unable to stop the smile. "Hey, Katie. It's me…"

**And again I'm apologising for this horrible ending. (I don't think this was quite as bad as the 'it was all a dream' endings, but I'm still sorry and its still bad).**


End file.
